THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lotus is the national symbol of the BJP. Therefore without consulting to them, the poll panel cannot allocate the symbol to any other party. But two parties are contesting in the state under the lotus symbol this assembly polls. NDA’s constituent parties—Kerala Kamaraj Congress led by Vishnupuram Chandrashekharan and C K Janu’s Janadipatya Rashtriya Party are the two political parties contesting under the lotus symbol. The party’s state president along with the national president has asked the poll panel to allocate the symbol to the aforesaid political parties.

Vishnupuram Chandrashekharan is contesting in Kovalam and C K Janu is fielded in Bathery constituency. BJP has a prominent influence in both these constituencies. The saffron party’s state leadership has taken such a decision after considering the opinion of party workers, who always voted under the lotus symbol. Thus, the leaders hope that the party’s votes will be received to the NDA candidate.

BJP’s district president and state secretary S Suresh was interested to contest in Kovalam but the party gave the seat in the Nadar-dominated constituency to Chandrasekharan’s Kerala Kamaraj Congress. The leadership also thinks that the disappointment among party workers in not fielding a BJP candidate could also be alleviated by allowing Chandrasekharan to contest in the party’s official symbol. The party has also used the same strategy in Bathery also.

Meanwhile, another NDA constituent party BJDS is contesting in the helmet symbol allotted by the poll panel. Even in Devikulam, AIADMK’s candidate R Dhanalakshmi was also gearing up to contest under the lotus symbol but as her nomination papers were rejected by the poll panel, BJP has decided to support an independent candidate in Devikulam.