BJP Kerala chief accepts responsibility for party’s loss in Palakkad by-elections

The BJP came third in the bypolls to Wayanad Lok Sabha and Chelakkara assembly seats where the UDF and LDF secured comfortable victorious respectively

BJP Kerala chief K Surendran said on Monday that he “owned up responsible for the party’s defeats” in the recent bypolls, particularly in Palakkad where it had harboured hopes of winning, especially in the backdrop of voices of displeasure over his style of leadership.

BJP Kerala chief K Surendran said on Monday that he “owned up responsible for the party’s defeats” in the recent bypolls, particularly in Palakkad (ANI)

The BJP came third in the bypolls to Wayanad Lok Sabha and Chelakkara assembly seats where the UDF and LDF secured comfortable victorious respectively. In Palakkad assembly bypoll, after a fierce triangular contest, the BJP lost to the UDF by a margin of 18,840 votes — a result that underscored how the UDF had made deep inroads into the BJP’s traditional support base in the Palakkad municipality areas. The BJP suffered a loss of over 10,000 votes in the bypoll, compared to its performance in 2021 when E Sreedharan, the acclaimed engineer and railway expert, had contested on its ticket.

Addressing reporters at a press conference in Kozhikode, Surendran said, “As the person leading the team, the state president will own the moral responsibility while facing defeats or victories. During the bypoll campaigns, everyone worked together but the final responsibility always lies with the state president. Whether I did a good or bad job, I will be subjected to auditing.”

On Monday, local media reported Surendran expressing his desire to the central leadership to be relieved of the state president’s post following the defeats. However, Surendran neither admitted nor dismissed those reports.

“Whether I should leave the post or continue in it, I will do as the central leadership says. It is not up to personal choices,” he said.

BJP state in-charge and former Union minister Prakash Javadekar rejected “rumours” that Surendran had offered to resign.

“Nobody is resigning neither (the) party has sought anybody’s resignation. I think this will settle the matter,” Javadekar, said in a post on X.

He claimed that the party put up a “good fight” in the bypolls and vowed to win Palakkad and other seats in the 2026 assembly elections. “We will win Palakkad and many more assembly seats in 2026. We are here to make a difference in Kerala politics. People are looking up to BJP,” Javadekar said.

At the press conference, Surendran said that the party would examine the erosion of votes in the municipality areas as well as public statements made by certain leaders against the state leadership.

“It is wrong to say that we lost votes only in a particular area of the constituency. We have lost votes in the three panchayats as well as a couple of thousand votes in the municipality. The erosion of votes in all booths will be examined. We will rectify them (before the 2025 local body polls),” he said.

To a question about the alleged lack of participation by party vice-president Sobha Surendran, the state chief said, “Sobha Surendran has not caused the party’s defeat. In fact, she has worked very hard. Don’t blame that woman. No one has attacked me within the party.”

However, discontent within the district unit of the party, especially regarding the candidature of C Krishnakumar, continued to spill out in the open.

Pramila Sasidharan, chairperson of Palakkad municipality and BJP member, told reporters that voters perhaps didn’t rally behind the party as they were ‘tired of seeing the same face’ of Krishnakumar.

“Some of the councillors had informed the state leadership that they wanted to see a change in the candidacy. Voters were expressing disappointment when we went to their homes seeking votes for him. But when the state leadership confirmed his name, all the 28 councillors and the party workers stood united behind him,” she said.

N Sivarajan, one of the party’s councillors and a supporter of Sobha Surendran, took aim at the BJP’s district prabhari P Reghunath. “Reghunath has to own responsibility (for the defeat). He has no connect with the ordinary party workers. We had told the state chief that wanted him removed before the election. But he didn’t remove him,” said Sivarajan.

The BJP’s state core committee is set to meet in Kochi on Tuesday to evaluate the bypoll results.