A day following his expression of discontent regarding the rejection of his candidacy for the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday successfully persuaded P.C. George to toe the party line, thereby averting a potential crisis.
The resolution came swiftly after Anil Antony, the BJP’s candidate for Pathanamthitta, visited Mr. George at his residence in Poonjar, seeking his blessings. Mr. George warmly received Mr. Antony and the accompanying BJP leaders.
Following a brief discussion, both leaders jointly addressed the media, dismissing reports of any rift between them. Mr. George, however, mentioned that the party candidate might not garner the same level of support from Christian bishops as he would have. He promised efforts to secure their backing for Mr. Antony, citing his direct connections with the bishops. “I am working to sort it out,” Mr. George stated. “We will show you how we are going to win this seat,” he added.
When asked about his campaign plans to introduce the party candidate to voters in the constituency, Mr. George replied that he would focus on areas where his presence was deemed necessary.
George’s charges
Mr. Antony, on his part, expressed delight at initiating the election campaign with the blessings of a seasoned leader like Mr. George. Party sources revealed that Mr. Antony’s meeting with the disgruntled leader was directed by the BJP national leadership. Earlier, Mr. George had criticised Mr. Antony for lacking local connections in Pathanamthitta and attributed the denial of the party ticket to a conspiracy involving Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, and Bharath Dharma Jana Sena president Thushar Vellappally. These statements had triggered a strong response from the BDJS, leading to a sharp rebuke of Mr. George.
Reacting to the episode, BJP State president K. Surendran reminded Mr. George of the importance of choosing words carefully. Mr. George had been vying for a ticket in Pathanamthitta, a seat where the BJP commands a significant vote share. In the previous Lok Sabha election, Mr. Surendran secured 2.97 lakh votes from the segment, within the limits of which the Sabarimala temple is situated.
