Drum beats and cries of “Jai BJP” rang high outside the Thiruvananthapuram airport as former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan returned to Kerala on Tuesday morning to rejoin politics ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Crowds of BJP cadre had thronged the airport to welcome the former State president of BJP.
Speaking to media persons outside the airport, Kummanam said that it was time for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to lead the people in “the renaissance period” that Kerala is witnessing. “It is time for reformation movement in Kerala. The NDA is leading this reformation movement in Kerala. This party has succeeded in mobilising the people to go forward to spearhead this renaissance, reformation and transformation movement,” Kummanam said.
On arriving in Thiruvananthapuram, Kummanam was also welcomed with a bike rally by cadres. The rally that started from Pettah, passed through General Hospital, LMS, Palayam, Statue and finally ended at Pazhavangadi Ganpathikovil in the city.
Later, state President of BJP Kerala, Sreedharan Pillai welcomed Kummanam at the state office.
The senior BJP leader had renounced his position of State president of the BJP to assume the chair of the Governor of Mizoram in 2018. However, before completing his tenure, Kummanam resigned from his Governorship on March 8 and returned to Kerala to join back state politics. Meanwhile, Jagdish Mukhi, a member of the RSS and former Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, has succeeded Kummanam as the governor of Mizoram.
Kummanam is likely to contest with the NDA ticket from Thiruvananthapuram and the senior leader is also the BJP's best bet in the constituency. With the Congress fielding Shashi Tharoor, who won from Thiruvananthapuram the last two terms, and the CPI(M) fielding C Diwakaran, Thiruvananthapuram is set to witness a tight battle between the three parties.
With Kummanam's return, the equations between top leaders have been strained with a lack of clarity over who will lead the party's campaign.