THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putting an end to the speculations and drama, BJP central election committee on Saturday announced the candidature of BJP’s Sabarimla poster boy K Surendran at Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha segment in the foothills of Sabarimala Pathanamthitta is one among the few seats where BJP hopes the Lotus would bloom for the first time in Parliament elections in Kerala . The seat was in limelight even before the announcement of general elections, especially for its proximity with the Sabarimala temple and the recent protests against entry of women of all ages to the hill shrine.However, Surendran’s name did not come up as the choicest candidate of the party when the BJP state unit submitted its recommendation to the party’s central leadership. While the party state president P S Sreedharan Pillai’s name figured as the first choice for Pathanamthitta and Kozhikode constituencies, K Surendran considered Surendran as candidate in Thrissur lok sabha segment.Following protests from leaders and cadres of the party in Kerala and instructions from party central leadership, P S Sreedharan Pillai dropped out from race. But the candidate to Pathanamthitta seat alone was not announced by the candidate when it first released the candidate list two days ago.However, P S Sreedharan Pillai later told reporters that he never wanted to contest the Lok Sabaha elections and he only backed the candidature of K Surendran. `Surendran would re write history in Pathanamthitta. He is one of the most popular phases in BJP’’, Pillai told reporters.There were rumours that the BJP central leadership was holding secret bargaining with certain Congress leaders and one among them would be fielded as BJP candidate in Pathanamthitta where the other two candidates-of the LDF and UDF- are from Christian background.Earlier, Surendran had unsuccessfully contested twice from Kasargodu Lok Sabha seat and Manjeswaram Assembly seat. Last time in 2016, however, he lost the election by a whisker. The opposite candidate won by 89 votes. Alleging widespread bogus voting in the election, Surendran had approached the high court. However, the sitting MLA Abdul Razak died last year, following which Surendran withdraw his case so that there would soon be a by-election.

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