The BJP has allotted 37 seats to the three-month-old Bharatiya Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) party to contest in the Assembly election and conceded most of the choice constituencies it had demanded.
Wrapping up the seat-sharing talks between the two major parties within the NDA coalition, leaders on Monday announced the 37 constituencies allotted which fall in 13 of the 14 districts of Kerala. The BDJS had reportedly demanded at least one seat in each of every single district in order to make its presence felt.
BJP State President Kummanam Rajasekharan told the media that the first batch of 22 seats, which the BJP intended to contest, would stay and the second batch would be announced on Wednesday. The negotiations on seats with other NDA partners such as the Kerala Congress (Secular), Kerala Congress (PC Thomas), Janakeeya Samrakshana Samiti (Rajan Babu faction), Kerala Vikas Congress and Lok Jan Sakthi will be completed by March 26.
A BJP source, who hinted that such a large share of seats was given at the instance of the party’s national leadership, pointed out that the BDJS was getting 26 per cent of the 140 constituencies in the State.
It is extremely rare for a new party to get such a large share from the ruling national party, he said.
BJDS founder Vellappally Natesan had last week told the media that his party would get 50 seats to contest.