BJP rejig soon after 8 years
The last time the party had internal elections were during the first tenure of V. Muraleedharan as president in 2010.
Thiruvananthapuram: After eight years, the state BJP is soon expected to see organisational elections.
The last time the party had internal elections were during the first tenure of V. Muraleedharan as president in 2010. But there were allegations that group equations decided the shape of the state council.
The election is also likely to see a new president, which might change group equations, as rebellion is brewing against the incumbent P. S. Sreedharan Pillai for poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections.
Party president Amit Shah, the home minister, has asked the leadership to show results in the upcoming Vattiyoorkavu, Konni, Aroor, Ernakulam, Pala and Manjeshwaram by-elections.
"Accordingly, senior leaders have been entrusted with responsibilities to start work in all the six constituencies. Mr Pillai is riding high on the election review report presented by the CPM central committee meeting where it had said about the BJP's growth in the state," said a senior leader.
Currently, BJP has 15 lakh members, and they have been asked to double it. The national membership drive will start on July 6 and conclude by Jan 31.
BJP State general secretary Sobha Surendran has already been included in the five-member committee headed by national vice-president Shivaraj Singh Chauhan on membership drive with the responsibility of five southern states.
The membership drive starts on the birth anniversary of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.