NDA announces first list of candidates for Kochi Corporation amid differences with BDJS over seat-sharing

Representatives of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) stayed away from the announcement of the first list of candidates of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for election to the Kochi Corporation here on Wednesday following differences over seat-sharing.

The list announced by S. Suresh, general secretary of the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), included Joshi Kaithavalappil, president of the parent-teacher association at St. Rita’s Public School at Palluruthy that had hit the headlines recently following the hijab (headscarf) row. He will contest from Palluruthy Kacheripadi division as the candidate of the National People’s Party, an ally of the NDA.

Shyamala S. Prabhu, the face of the BJP in the civic body since the 1980s, was denied ticket to contest from the Cheralayi division as the party announced the candidature of Pravitha E.S. for the seat. She had successfully contested from the division six times—thrice each when it was a general ward and when reserved for women—between 1988 and 2020. Ms. Prabhu said she would contest from the division as an Independent candidate. On rumours that Twenty20 had agreed to field her as its candidate, she said no decision had been taken yet on whether to accept the offer.

Meanwhile, attempts by the district leadership of the BJP to resolve differences with representatives of the BDJS before the announcement of the first list of candidates failed to yield results. A senior functionary of the BDJS said the party had asked for six seats in the Kochi Corporation, while the BJP was ready to allot only one seat. An emergency meeting of the NDA to be convened on Friday would discuss the situation, he said.

The BJP’s candidates included Sunitha Dixon, who had joined the party last week after she resigned from the Revolutionary Socialist Party that she had represented as councillor in the Vyttila division. She will contest from Ponnurunni East this time. The BJP also announced four of its candidates for the election to the Ernakulam district panchayat.