Infighting engulfs BJP

KASARGOD: The BJP Kumbla panchayat committee president  Latheesh was removed from the post on Thursday for allegedly pledging support to M Narayana Bhat, president of the suspended party district committee, in the wake of factional feud in the party district unit. The Manjeswaram and Kasargod mandal committees of the party endorsed the suspension of the district committee by party state president V Muralidharan on August 21.BJP state general secretary K Surendran, who attended the Kasargod mandal committee of the party explained the circumstances that led to the suspension of the district committee.Meanwhile, Kasargod mandal committee president P Ramesh said the allegations raised by Jayalakshmi N Bhat, wife of M Narayana Bhat, against the party were not true. He said Jayalakshmi N Bhat had offered to resign on June 13. She had earlier stated that she resigned as president of the Karadka grama panchayat in protest against the suspension of the district committee led by her husband M Narayana Bhat.Ramesan said that Jayalakshmi Bhat sought the permission of the party to resign from her post on July 13 as president of the Karadka grama panchayat following serious allegations raised by the party against Narayana Bhat. Ramesan said Jayalakshmi Bhat announced her resignation as president of the Karadka grama panchayat to conceal her embarrassment following the allegations raised against M Narayana Bhat.But Jayalakshmi Bhat said that she had put in her papers on July 13 following the allegations raised at a party meeting in the presence of party state president V Muralidharan. She said the allegation was that her husband had received Rs 15 lakh from P B Abdul Razak, IUML candidate in Manjeswaram, to defeat party candidate K Surendran in the constituency. According to sources, some tainted party leaders had received money from Abdul Razak to defeat K Surendran in Manjeswaram. The secret understanding was that if a segment of BJP were to be polled to Abdul Razak in Manjeswaram, the IUML votes could be polled in favour of Jayalakshami Bhat in the Kasargod seat to enable her to win the seat.Jayalakshmi Bhat said the resignation was handed over to the panchayat secretary as the district was suspended by the party state leadership raising serious allegations against M Narayana Bhat.According to reports coming from the lower committees of the party, majority of the party leaders and ranks supported the official leadership of the party isolating the dissident leaders.