BJP gives rest to speculations, announces candidates in Palakkad

Putting to rest speculations about the internal discord within Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday evening announced its candidates for the Palakkad Municipality, where the party is seeking a third consecutive term.

The NDA announced the names of candidates for 46 of the 53 wards. The names for the remaining seven wards will be decided soon. Sources said the BJP left seven wards pending as a strategy to address the disputes within.

Councillors and former councillors are on the list. BJP officials pointed out that the list represented a broad cross section of society, featuring professionals, teachers, researchers, traders and other prominent citizens.

Prominent names

Those in the fray to clinch a third term for the BJP include State treasurer and outgoing municipal vice chairman E. Krishnadas; BJP east district general secretary and outgoing standing committee chairman P. Smithesh; BJP district vice presidents C. Madhu and G. Prabhakaran; outgoing standing committee chairpersons Mini Krishnakumar, T.S. Meenakshi and T. Baby; Mahila Morcha State vice-president Sindhu Rajan; district general secretary Aswati Manikandan; and SC Morcha district general secretary Krishna Prasad.

BJP east district president Prasant Sivan presided over the function in which the candidates were announced. State vice presidents V. Unnikrishnan and C. Krishnakumar, State treasurer E. Krishnadas, veteran leader N. Sivarajan, BDJS district president K. Raghu, and BJP east district general secretary P. Smithesh spoke.

In the 2020 municipal elections, the BJP secured 28 of the 52 seats and ruled Palakkad municipality with a comfortable majority. In 2015, when the BJP came to power for the first time in the State’s history, it had become the single largest party with 23 seats. It ruled the municipality in spite of having no majority as the other members were divided.

Third term hopes

This time around, according to BJP sources, they are hopeful of clinching a third term. In spite of group rivalries within the party, the BJP appears certain to win 18-20 seats in certain belts. The party is focusing on eight to 10 wards whose results can determine who will rule the municipality.

“Even if we manage to win just half of the dozen or so closely contested wards, we will still be able to hold on to power for a third consecutive term,” a senior party leader said on condition of anonymity.