NDA K M Mani's only option, say BJP leaders

KOZHIKODE: Former BJP state president P. S. Sreedharan Pillai has said that no official talks with Kerala Congress (M) had been  started.  A section of BJP leaders feels that  KC (M) chairman K. M. Mani has no option  but to join the NDA. BJP national president Amit Shah will hold talks with Bharat Dharma Jana Sena state president Tushar Vellapally and other NDA allies here  on Monday. But the KC (M) leadership has denied joining the NDA and said that it would go it alone  rather than be a part of  coalition politics.

Mr. Pillai told DC that the BJP wanted to expand the NDA set-up. He rubbished reports  citing that the relations between the BJP and BDJS had been strained and stressed that it was  an important ally of the NDA.   “A false campaign is on to thwart the growth of  BJP  when the BJP national executive and council meetings are on. The dictum followed by Deendayal Upadyaya  in the 1967 Jan Sangh meeting was  that untouchability is a crime in politics.  Jan Sangh has no enmity with any political party,”  Mr. Pillai said..

The BJP was  prepared to coordinate with any political party on the NDA agenda.   Mr Amit Shah will hold a meeting with all the allies of the NDA on Monday. But KC (M) sources told DC that  Mr  Mani will not take  any hasty steps fearing a backlash from the Left government.  “We  know what has happened to SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan on the micro- finance issue just because he formed a political party, BDJS,  and became an ally of the NDA. If Mani joins NDA, the same fate would fall on him and several more cases would be slapped against him,” said a KC (M) source.

Mr  Mani was expected to visit Kozhikode on Friday owing to the death of his former district president in Kozhikode, the late Kainady Appachan's close kin. But Mr  Mani cancelled his visit as he did not want to be in the same city where the BJP conclave was happening. KC (M) general secretary Joseph M. Puthussery told DC that  the  KC (M) had  got no agenda to join any coalition. “We have left the UDF  and  we have already decided to stay as a separate bloc  in the Assembly,” said Mr. Puthussery.  However, BJP sources told DC that Mr Amit Shah was  most likely to seek the opinion of all the NDA allies in bringing a Christian party  like KC (M) to the fold of NDA.

KC(M) leaders slam move as ‘suicidal’

The Kerala Congress(M) has dismissed the speculations about BJP national president Amit Shah starting talks with the party on its joining the NDA.   Sources close to party chairman K.M. Mani told DC that though there were feelers from the BJP,  the party’s  top leaders were divided over it. The majority feels that it would be suicidal at this point as a slew of cases against Mr Mani was under investigation by the Vigilance and any move to join the  NDA would antagonize the LDF.

The leaders also dismissed the chances of  a discussion with Mr Amit Shah at this moment, saying, the report might  have been cooked up by vested interests. “At present we are on a wait and watch policy as our party joining any camps, either the NDA or the LDF, would  benefit them,” he added.  A section of leaders claims that joining the NDA would  benefit the rubber farmers of the state. “But we haven’t taken any decision so far. Not even serious discussions were held,” a leader said.   KC(M) state general secretary Sunny Thekkedam  said there were  many who wanted the  KC (M) in their kitty. “They are having their own dreams. But we will continue with the present strategy for the time being,”  he added.