BJP Kerala unit hit hard by growing divide

For the Bharatiya Janata Party, things seem to be going from bad to worse in Kerala where it has been desperately trying to increase its base.

Hit by a medical college scam, in which some of its members are said to be involved, the party is also battling growing factionalism, one issue which has always troubled the saffron leadership as well as the Rashtriya Swayam sevak Sangh, whose pracharak Kummanam Rajasekharn was named as the party’s state unit chief ahead of the last Assembly elections, to check factionalism.

Mr Rajasekharn, who was summoned by the central leadership over the issue and organisational matters, met BJP president Amit Shah last week.

Mr Shah, sources said, told Mr Rajasekharn that the central leadership was not happy with the way the medical scam issue was handled by the state unit.

Former state unit chief P.S. Sreedharan Pillai

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who was in the state for two days, was apprised about the issue as well as about the allegations against some of the BJP members' involvement

also attended the meeting.

The saffron party was left embarrassed after an internal report on the issue somehow got leaked.

Though the party took action against two of its members, but it has divided the state unit as these members are considered close to former state unit chief V Murleedharan.

Following Mr Rajasekharan’s meeting with Mr Shah, speculation has been rife that the central leadership could go in for a complete overhaul of the Kerala unit.

A section within the state unit also wants Mr Rajsekharan to be replaced, something which the state RSS