BJP leadership seeks explanation from Palakkad municipal chairperson

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State leadership has demanded an explanation from Palakkad municipal chairperson Prameela Sasidharan about her attending a function on Sunday in which Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, who is facing sexual abuse charges was the chief guest.

The Palakkad municipality is ruled by the BJP. Its chairperson attended the stadium bypass link road inaugural function with the MLA at a time when the BJP had vowed to oppose and boycott Mr. Mamkootathil.

Ms. Sasidharan’s action and developments that followed have exposed the discontentment brewing within the BJP in Palakkad. There appears to be a vertical split within the party with one section targeting the chairperson.

Resignation sought

BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar expressed displeasure at Ms. Sasidharan’s action. BJP State general secretary C. Krishnakumar and district president Prasanth Sivan demanded that action be taken against Ms. Sasidharan. In the party district committee, Mr. Krishnakumar has reportedly raised strong objections to the chairperson’s action, demanding her resignation and an apology in front of the media.

But the party leadership is warned by some leaders against stringent action as it might negatively affect the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming municipal elections.

Meanwhile, the Congress has begun efforts to leverage the internal fissures within the BJP by sending overtures to Ms. Sasidharan. The Palakkad block committee of the Congress has invited her to the party. But Ms. Sasidharan has rejected the Congress’s invitation. She said she attended the programme as it was a development-related function.

The chairperson explained that she attended the programme following an invitation from the ward councillor, and the BJP had not proscribed her from attending Mr. Mamkootathil’s function.

She said she was willing to apologise if attending the function was a mistake. Reiterating that she would never switch over to the Congress, Ms. Sasidharan said that she would gladly accept any action taken by the party.

Ms. Sasidharan said that as chairperson, she had worked for the welfare and development of the people of Palakkad.

According to BJP district leadership, her action has shamed the party in Palakkad. But former BJP national executive member N. Sivarajan supported Ms. Sasidharan, saying that she had not been aware of Mr. Mamkootathil’s presence at the function.

A few days ago, Ms. Sasidharan had complained to the BJP leadership against her detractors for avoiding her from a function in a ward represented by Mr. Krishnakumar’s wife Mini, in which P.T. Usha, MP, was a chief guest.

Sources suggest that Ms. Sasidharan’s attendance at Mr. Mamkootathil’s function was a calculated countermeasure against the BJP faction opposing her.