The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the district has suffered a setback with a few local leaders quitting the party, raising allegations of corruption and favouritism.
Mahila Morcha leader and BJP Alathur constituency vice president Prakashini Narayanan resigned from the party along with a few others on Friday. She alleged that she did not expect any better treatment from the party that it could not give to national executive member Sobha Surendran. She said women were getting sidelined in the BJP.
Ms. Surendran had expressed her displeasure with the party leadership the other day over “lack of consideration” for her in the party. She had made public her unhappiness over having been made party vice president in the State.
Ms. Prakashini’s resignation from the party is viewed by linking it with the movement of Ms. Surendran.
OBC Morcha Alathur constituency treasurer K. Narayanan and RSS chief sikshak N. Vishnu were among those who resigned from the BJP along with Ms. Prakashini.
They accused BJP leaders at the local level of resorting to corrupt practices and misappropriating funds. Their main target was K. Karthikeyan, BJP general secretary in the Alathur constituency. They said Mr. Karthikeyan had not only been involved in corruption but also subjected them to mental torture. They said their complaints to BJP State president K. Surendran did not do any good.
BJP district leaders said Ms. Prakashini’s resignation was a matter of local concern, and that it would not have any impact on the party at the district or higher level.
