TALASSERY: BJP leadership has asked its workers to vote for any party or candidate except UDF and LDF in the Talassery constituency where the saffron party has no candidate. The leadership has specifically directed the party workers not to note for LDF and UDF candidates. The party has taken such a decision after the leader of the Indian Gandhian Party, C O T Naseer has declined electoral support given by BJP.

BJP’s mandalam president K Lijesh has said that CPM is a party that has tried to exterminate the party workers and Congress has tried to destabilise the party organisation. “Therefore we have decided not to support both fronts led by them,” he said.

Apart from Naseer, LDF and UDF candidates, the welfare party and two independent candidates are in the poll fray. The party thought that vote of conscience and NOTA votes would invite central leadership’s wrath. Following this inference, the state leadership asked workers to support anyone except LDF and UDF.

The nomination papers of BJP’s Talassery candidate N Haridas was rejected as it didn’t have the signature of BJP state president. The nomination papers of dummy candidate were also rejected on similar grounds. Haridas is also the district chief of the party. Following this incident, the party decided to support C O T Naseer. Though Naseer initially accepted the support of the party, later he changed his stand. Talassery is the constituency where the party has the highest votes in the district. In 2016, the party has secured 22,125 votes in the constituency.