THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Bharat Dharma Jana Sena will contest in 37 seats in the Assembly elections under the NDA banner. This was decided after the third round of talks between the BJP and the BDJS here. BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan told reporters that the NDA’s remaining list of candidates would be announced before March 26.
The seats allotted to BDJS are Kovalam, Varkala and Vamanapuram (Thiruvananthapuram), Eravipuram, Kollam, Karunagapally and Kunnathur (Kollam), Kayamkulam, Kuttanad, Cherthala and Aroor (Alappuzha), Ranni and Tiruvalla (Pathanamthitta), Ettumannur, Vaikkom and Poonjar (Kottyam), Thodupuzha, Idukki and Udumpanchola (Idukki), Vypin, Kalamassery, Paravor, Kunnathunad and Kothamangalam (Ernakulam), Kodungalloor, Kaippamangalam, Nattika, Chalakudy and Ollur (Thrissur), Shornur and Manarcaud (Palakkad), Nilambur (Malappuram), Kozhikode south, Thiruvampady and Perambra (Kozhikode), Peravoor (Kannur) and Kanhangad (Kasargod).
The meeting also decided to hold a convention of NDA in Thrissur or Ernakulam. Further talks are expected to be held with Kerala Congress (secular), Kerala Congress (P. C. Thomas), JSS (Rajan Babu), Kerala Vikas Congress and Lok Janasakti Party. The BJP’s election committee meeting on Wednesday will decide its second list of candidates.
BJP election committee chairman and former BJP president V. Muraleedharan, general secretary M. T. Ramesh, national executive member and former party president P. K. Krishnadas, organizational general secretary K. R. Umakanthan, BDJS president Tushar Vellapally, vice-president Akeeraman Kalidasan Bhattathiripad, secretaries Subhash Vasu and T. V. Babu attended the talks.
