Leadership crisis: BJP doubts chief's ability

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP leadership opi-nes that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has difficulty in acknowledging the current lot of BJP leaders forcing him to delay the all party talks to bring peace in Kannur. A top BJP leader told this newspaper that Mr Pinarayi is looking for a BJP leader with the stature of late K.G. Marar. At the same time, BJP leaders feel that its state president Kummanam Rajasekharan inability to rise to the occasion has led to the present situation. BJP leaders feel that the two leaders who have always been acknowledged by the CPM are K.G. Marar and C.K. Padmanabhan, two former BJP state presidents.

A prominent BJP leader recalled that E.K. Nayanar called an all party meet during his second term as Chief Minister in 1991 without much delay as he was keen to bring peace in the  region unlike Mr Vijayan. He alleged that Mr Kummanam does not have a grip over the party, especially in the lower rung. “Top leaders like RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan have already said that they are ready for talks. Unfortunately, though Mr Vijayan has  said in the Assembly that he is ready for talks, he is not taking the initiative for such a serious issue,” the top BJP leader said.

However, another BJP leader said that the RSS state vice-president K.K. Balram who is being  promoted to stop the prospects of former state president V. Muraleedharan is also not keen to be a part of the reconciliatory talks. On Wednesday, Mr Vijayan informed the Assembly that the BJP and RSS were not cooperating with the attempt to restore peace. He had responded that he is ready for talks with RSS leadership to a suggestion by former chief minister Oommen Chandy while discussing the notice for an adjournment motion in the Assembly moved by K.C. Joseph.