Sulking BJP ally in Kerala says promises not kept

As top BJP leaders meet in Kozhikode, a key ally in Kerala on Friday accused the saffron party of not keeping promises made to it before the Assembly elections, indicating trouble for BJP in the state where it is keen to expand its presence.

Raising the issue just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Kozhikode visit to attend BJP's National Council meet, SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellapally Natesan said workers of the BDJS (Bharatiya Dharma Jana Sena), headed by his son Thushar Vellapally, 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," Natesan told reporters.

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".

Hitting out at the BJP, Natesan said, "The BJP used us to increase their vote percentage in Kerala. Now we have ended up as loser".

Asked whether the BDJS would severe its ties with the BJP, Natesan said he did not think thay it has reached up to that level but the party's central committee meeting to be held in Kanichukulangara in Alappuzha district on Friday will take a call.

"I am not attending the meeting. I am on way to Thiruvananthapuram for attending another meeting\," he said.

BDJS Chief Thushar Vellapally has not reacted to the development so far.

BJP state leaders downplayed the developments.

BJP, which has tied up with the BDJS -- the party floated by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), an organisation of the Ezhava community, had fielded 97 candidates while BDJS had put up 37 candidates in the May 16 polls.

BJP won one seat in the 140-member Assembly and its vote share was 10.53 per cent.