"I will vote for BJP candidate Surendran," says P C George

Kerala Janapaksham founder and MLA P C George, who is a voter of Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency, Friday said he would vote for BJP candidate K Surendran, as he was the one and only candidate who visited his home seeking his vote.

George, however, said a decision on his party cooperating with the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls would be taken in two days.

"I will vote for Surendran as he was the only candidate who visited my home seeking my vote.

No decision has been taken so far on extending my party's support to Surendran or other NDA candidates," George said hours after the BJP candidate visited him seeking his support.

George, who supported protests by Hindu outfits over the Sabarimala issue, had said recently the state committee of the Janapaksham had discussed the issue of cooperating with the NDA in the elections after the Congress leadership did not respond to his demand that his party be made a partner of the United Democratic Front.

The BJP has fielded its strongman K Surendran from Pathanamathitta where the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple is located.

While CPI(M) has fielded its sitting MLA Veena George as its candidate, the Congress renominated sitting MP Anto Antony.

George had supported protests by various Hindu outfits last year against the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict lifting the traditional ban on entry of women in the 10-50 age group into the Sabarimala temple.

He had come out openly against the LDF government's stand supporting entry of women in the menstrual age group into the hill shrine.