K R Ranjith By

Giving indications that the BJP is heading for a serious crisis in the district, more than 3,000 workers are preparing to quit the party and join their arch rival, the CPM, according to rebel leaders.

As many as 184 party workers from Pallikkunnu panchayat and Thalikkavu resigned on Tuesday and initiated informal talks with the CPM leadership. Even though the CPM district leadership denied to have had talks with the BJP rebels, it said that the party was ready to “fully cooperate” with those who resigned from the BJP.

According to the BJP rebels, more than 3,000 workers will resign from the party by January 22 from different parts of the district, especially from Cheruvanchery, Panur and Pallikkunnu panchayats.

A Asokan, district general secretary of Namo Vichar Manch and former district secretary of the BJP, said that more party workers would quit in the coming days.

“We launched Namo Vichar Manch as a rebel outfit within the party hoping that it can compel the leadership to take corrective measures. Since the state leadership continues a deafening silence on the issues raised by us, we feel that we should consider joining other political parties.”

“The rebels from across the district will resign in large numbers, and will convene a joint meeting after January 22 to decide on the future course of action including the possibility of joining the CPM or any other party,” Asokan added.

N Dheeraj Kumar, BJP’s Azhikode constituency committee member who claimed to have resigned from the party along with other members, has confirmed that they conducted informal discussions with the CPM leadership and that the talks were positive.

CPM district secretary P Jayarajan told ‘Express’ that the rebels quit protesting against the anti-democratic stand of the BJP leadership and questioning the district president for his alleged amoral activities.

“They are coming out in protest of the RSS dominance in the party as well. Those who resigned from the BJP recently have expressed readiness to join the CPM and we are open to fully cooperate with them. But we have not conducted any talks with them so far.”

The BJP state leadership, however, dismissed the rebellion as an act of a group of former RSS activists who had been kept away from the party and the Sangh due to various reasons for more than two years.

“Those who claimed to have resigned from the party had been kept away from the RSS long before for various reasons,” said BJP national executive council member M T Ramesh.

“The number of persons claimed to have resigned is largely inflated. And the group, with maximum 24 persons, not 184, that claimed to have resigned has no links with the BJP.

They were formerly associated with the RSS but were removed from positions and had been kept aloof from the Sangh for more than two years,” he added.

Ramesh dismissed reports that the party was facing a crisis in the district.