I'm always being made scapegoat for party's defeat: K Surendran

KOZHIKODE: Defeat in elections is not something new to the BJP in Kerala. However, ever since K Surendran assumed the role of state president of the BJP, there seems to be a tendency within the party to hold him accountable for every defeat suffered by the party. No other state president has ever faced such unified criticism before. In light of the Palakkad by-election, K. Surendran shares his thoughts with Kerala Kaumudi.

Q. The responsibility for defeat in Palakkad..?
Be it the by-election or any other election, the BJP has always been a losing party in Kerala. Suresh Gopi won in Thrissur and went to the Lok Sabha while I was the president of the BJP. However, nobody gave me the credit for it back then. Neither have I claimed any credit for it. However, whenever the party suffers a defeat, I will be made the scapegoat for it. I'm a target for those outside the party and within the party.

Q. Will you resign?
If BJP state presidents are expected to resign after every defeat, then several presidents should have resigned before. The party had suffered a huge defeat in Piravom when V Muraleedharan served as party president. Did anyone ask him to resign then? Now, the defeat in Palakkad is a major issue, but the party also lost in Wayanad and Chelakkara. Who is getting the credit for the 10,000 additional votes the BJP got in Chelakkara? Nobody is mentioning that. In any case, the responsibility for this defeat cannot be pinned on just one person. As the state president of the BJP, I am taking up the responsibility for the defeats. The party will decide whether I should be removed or allowed to complete the term as president.

Q. What do you have to say about the allegation that Sobha Surendran and 18 councillors worked against the party in Palakkad?
The state leadership has not raised such an allegation. Do not unnecessarily drag Sobha Surendran into such allegations. She has worked very hard for the party.

Q. Palakkad municipality chairperson said that there were issues with candidate selection?
We will look into such allegations. We will discuss such open criticisms. I was not the one who decided on the candidate in Palakkad. It was the committee headed by Kummanam Rajasekharan that suggested three names. While two of the three expressed their unwillingness to contest, we decided to go ahead with Krishnakumar as the candidate.