KOCHI: Though the newly-floated BDJS (Bharatiya Dharma Jana Sena) has been negotiating with the BJP leadership to get the maximum number of seats in Ernakulam, the alliance has not made its presence felt in campaigning. While the candidates of the other two fronts are busy with the electioneering, the BJP is yet to complete the seat- sharing with the BDJS.
“Seat-sharing discussions are still on with the BDJS and are expected to be completed by Saturday,” said BJP sources. Even party insiders admit that there is a lack of coordination due to which the finalisation of the candidates’ list was delayed. In some of the constituencies, the NDA candidates have started campaigning.
No top guns except Prof. Thuravoor Viswambharan is in the BJP’s list. Tripunithura is the only major constituency in Ernakulam included in the party’s ‘B’ list. Mr A.N, Radhakrishnan, a prominent leader from Kochi, has moved to Manaloor in Thrissur district in search of better prospects.
Except in Tripunithura, the NDA candidates’ presence is not visible in any other constituencies. Though the BJP hopes to gain from its alliance with the BDJS, the latter’s demands and claims had not matched its clout, according to observers. The fluid leadership situation might be a major reason for the uncertainty over the candidate selection, it is pointed out.
