An intra-party dispute within the BJP in Palakkad municipality came to the fore on Wednesday when a group of party supporters in Pattikkara ward approached the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) demanding replacement of BJP state treasurer candidate E Krishnadas.
Mr. Krishnadas, the outgoing municipal vice-chairman, is a potential chairman candidate if the BJP comes to power for a third consecutive term.
A memorandum signed by 117 BJP supporters appealed to the RSS to reconsider the decision to field Mr. Krishnadas in Pattikkar. They said they would prefer a candidate from the ward.
A faction led by BJP state vice-president C. Krishnakumar and Palakkad West district president Prasanth Sivan was said to be behind the move against Mr. Krishnadas.
In a firefighting move, the BJP called a joint press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, which was attended by Mr. Krishnadas, Mr. Krishnakumar and Mr. Sivan. They jointly denied allegations of an internal rift, calling it a media fabrication.
Mr. Krishnadas, whose name was not in the original list of candidates, entered the race after the BJP state leadership entered it. Party sources said Mr. Krishnakumar’s faction was working against Mr. Krishnadas’s candidature.
Mr. Krishnadas said that the state and district administrations would look into the grievances of the people. He is said not to fight for the post of mayor and it is up to the party leadership to decide who will be the head of the municipality.
Besides Mr. Krishnadas, another prominent member of the race from his faction is P. Smithesh, the outgoing chairman of the standing health commission. There were attempts to block both candidates from the election.
The BJP’s internal rift in Palakkad municipality deepened as the civic body elections neared. Outgoing municipal chairperson Prameela Sasidharan blamed Mr. Krishnakumar for the situation.
She said she was targeted by a faction and that the shortlisting of candidates was biased. This time he didn’t give her the ticket.
Meanwhile, local Congress leaders clashed in Pirayiri, not far from here, over the selection of candidates on Wednesday. The issue was related to the selection of candidates for Kodunthirapulla ward. Outgoing assemblyman Siva Prasad and Pirayiri panchayat vice-president Sadik Basha were involved in the clash.
Published – 19 Nov 2025 20:12 IST
