No differences with BJP, says BDJS president

Taking a contradictory stand after his father and SNDP Yogam chief Vellapally Natesan attacked ally BJP, Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) President Thushar Vellapally on Friday said his party has no differences with NDA.

"There is no difference with BJP. It is the view of SNDP and not that of BDJS," ThusharVellapally told reporters here after a meeting of party leaders here.

His statement came hours after his father and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) General Secretary Natesan, who was instrumental in the formation of the party in the run up to the Assembly elections,accused the saffron party of not keeping promises made to it before the Assembly elections.

Thushar said he had met BJP National President Amit Shah last week and held talks on posts in boards and corporations. "I expect a decision on the issues soon," he added.

BDJS is the key partner of BJP in Kerala.

Asked about the statement of Vellapally Natesan, Thushar said his father had made the remark in his capacity as SDNP General Secretary.

"He might have aired the feelings of some cadres," he said, adding he would attend the meeting of NDA to be held along with BJP national council meet at Kozhikode and also the function to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Raising the issue just ahead of Modi's visit to attend the BJP meet, Natesan earlier in the day said workers of the BDJS feel that "nothing" has been given to the party by BJP except promises.

"The Prime Minister had promised to us during Assembly election campaign that the Central University in Kasargod would be named after Sreenarayana Guru. It has not been fulfilled so far," he said.

Natesan, who tried to take Kerala's numerically strong Eazhava community to the NDA, said the BJP had made several promises to the BDJS during the time of elections in May this year, "but when it comes to making us a partner in power, we are being treated as untouchables".

Asked whether BDJS was in favour of taking KC-M into NDA, Thushar said if BJP agrees to that, his party would take the initiative to rope in the party headed by former finance minister K M Mani.

KC-M had recently severed its more than three-decades old ties with Congress led UDF Opposition and had decided to function as a separate bloc in the state assembly.

The party has also resolved to have equi-distance from ruling CPI-M led LDF.