Mullappally Cannot win in Manjeswaram, not to speak of Konni and yet the BJP state president has descended on Konni. The shift is not meant to score BJP victory, rather, it is a maneuver to put his in-party adversaries in place and cement his seat in Pathanamthitta for the next parliamentary elections.
Surendran has managed to shunt out 3 major adversaries so far, namely Shoba Surendran, Anoop Antony and Ashokan Kulanada. He also has been successful at putting into distress the unfriendly district leadership.
Surendran initially planned to contest from Manjeshwaram but quickly sniffed danger when Shoba Surendran asked for Konni. Without losing time, he switched to Konni anticipating likely loss of his parliament constituency, should Shoba Surendran win in the Krishnadas-majority region there with help from RSS. He snatched that seat offering grounds of his candidacy there during the by-election.
Surendran took his second aim at Anoop Antony who had begun poll activism in Thiruvalla for months now, with blessings from state RSS and central leadership. Surendran kicked him out from fears that, should the Yuva Morcha leader end up upping BJP votes in Thiruvalla, the RSS youth from backward community could be considered for the district's parliament seat.
In Aranmula, a region considered vital for BJP, the seat-aspirant Ashokan Kulanada, was replaced with Biju Mathew even as Anoop Antony was pushed out of Thiruvalla on grounds for religious parity. Following such cross-maneuvers, the anti-leadership sentiment meanwhile worsened in the district. According to sources, the district leadership encouraged these protests aware that drop in BJP votes could put Surendran in tight spot and RSS is now working hard to prevent open protests and mass resignations in the district.
Though special efforts with view to election have been set in motion, the district RSS leadership bailed himself in anticipation saying, he will not be responsible for ripples caused by Surendran’s strategies.
