THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to induct V Muraleedharan into his Cabinet as a minister for state is expected to strengthen the party in Kerala, feel political observers. BJP leaders said it will help the party initiate many state-specific projects.
“Muraleedharan can initiate many development projects. Being a former state president and a student leader, he has good grassroot-level contacts which will help strengthen the party,” said BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai.
After quitting his government job, Muraleedharan became an RSS pracharak and was deputed by the Sangh to head the students wing. He was ABVP’s state organising secretary and went on to become its national general secretary. This helped him have an excellent rapport with the party and the RSS cadre across the state.
During Vajpayee government’s tenure, Muraleedharan was made the vice-chairman of the Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sanghatan and later its director general. After becoming the BJP state president, Muraleedharan undertook a ‘padayatra’ from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram which helped him connect with party leaders and workers across the state.
It’s no secret that Muraleedharan enjoys total support of the RSS. No wonder then that the Sangh forwarded his name to the BJP’s central leadership.
MP Sumesh, BJP’s Thalassery mandalam president, who was severely injured in a brutal attack on his life allegedly by CPM workers, said Muraleedharan’s Cabinet post is recognition to the Sangh Swayamsevaks of Thalassery and other parts of the state ‘who have laid down their lives for the ideological cause’.
Strong faction
Muraleedharan’s Union Cabinet entry will also make the party faction loyal to him more powerful within the state BJP. Though party state general secretary K Surendran said there was no need to remove Pillai for the election debacle, the new development is sure to embolden Muraleedharan loyalists in the party.
However, party sources do not see an immediate threat to the Pillai’s presidentship, as leaders like P K Krishnadas and M T Ramesh are expected to support him. Also, RSS will not allow fissures in the party at a time when its nominee is being inducted into the Union Cabinet.
“Sangh will surely interfere to ensure there are no issues within the state BJP. Muraleedharan has got a good post and he will not allow his loyalists to come out against Pillai,” said a senior leader, on condition of anonymity. “It’s indeed a noble gesture on the Prime Minister’s part to give a ministerial berth to Muraleedharan even after the state failed to return any MP in the general election. So no one will try to upset the present situation,” he said.
Loyalists’ move
Muraleedharan’s Union Cabinet entry will also make the party faction loyal to him more powerful within the state BJP. Though K Surendran said there was no need to remove Pillai, the new development is sure to embolden Muraleedharan loyalists in the party
Sangh’s man friday
After quitting his government job, Muraleedharan became an RSS pracharak and was deputed by the Sangh to head the student's wing. He went on to become ABVP’s national general secretary. No wonder then that the Sangh forwarded his name to the BJP’s central leadership