Rajeev vs Muraleedharan: Leadership row exposes cracks in Kerala BJP

Thiruvananthapuram: Signs of an internal power struggle have surfaced within the Kerala unit of the BJP after state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar reportedly opposed a proposal to appoint senior leader V Muraleedharan as the party’s legislature wing leader in the Assembly.

The BJP has secured three seats in the newly elected Kerala Assembly, with Rajeev Chandrasekhar, former state president V Muraleedharan and V B Gopakumar emerging victorious. During discussions within the party’s core committee, a majority reportedly favoured Muraleedharan for the post of legislature party leader, citing his long experience in Kerala politics and familiarity with legislative affairs. Sources indicated that sections of the national leadership were also inclined towards his candidature.

However, Rajeev Chandrasekhar is understood to have resisted the move and instead pushed for himself to head the legislature party. The state president is said to have argued that concentrating two major positions in one leader would avoid the emergence of parallel power centres within the party. Despite that justification, the development has fuelled speculation that the dispute is rooted in an emerging rivalry over influence and visibility within the BJP’s Kerala unit.

The tension became evident when Rajeev Chandrasekhar himself spoke as the party’s leader on the Assembly floor on Friday, even though no final consensus had reportedly been reached on the legislature party leadership.

Political observers view the disagreement as an early indication of competing authority structures within the BJP after its electoral gains in Kerala. Party insiders suggest that neither camp has fully accepted the other’s position, raising the possibility of a prolonged internal confrontation. With both leaders enjoying significant standing within the organisation, the leadership tussle is expected to remain a contentious issue in the days ahead.