Even as ‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan’s decision to join the BJP has given a boost to the morale of the workers of the saffron party in Kerala, the state party leadership’s cold response to party leader Sobha Surendran’s 48-hour fast which ended here on Friday in support of the agitation by job aspirants figuring in the PSC rank lists, doused the spirits of a large section of party workers in the state.

The fact that not a single state leader or district leader of the party visited her at her satyagraha venue points to the depth of the simmering factional issues in the state unit. It is interesting that this kind of perceptible factional war is happening in the state unit, despite the central leadership’s clear instructions that the party should go ahead unitedly.

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Despite receiving a cold shoulder from the party’s state leadership, Sobha Surendran managed to facilitate a meeting between a group of protesting PSC job aspirants and governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Khan has assured them he would do whatever was possible in his capacity as the governor to help them.

When leaders of a party don’t get along, the negative impacts can cascade through the organization and those conflicts have the potential to reduce the morale of the party workers. As Sobha announced the protest on her own, BJP leaders kept their distance from it. Her supporters did not expect that the state leaders would neglect her protest.

Sources said Sobha coming out in support of the agitating PSC rank holders has caused the BJP state leadership to decide against backing the protesting PSC job aspirants.

Sources also said that the Mahila Morcha and Yuva Morcha had initially planned separate protest marches to the Secretariat on Thursday. However, the state leadership allegedly dissuaded both the Mahila Morcha and Yuva Morcha from taking out the march, as it would be seen as an open support to Sobha.

A majority of party cadres and supporters are dissatisfied over the BJP’s reluctance in taking up the PSC rank holders’ cause due to the Sobha factor.

Sobha Surendran, who has been engaged in a tussle with the state leadership particularly party state president

Surendran, has been keeping out of active politics for the last several months over complaints that she was demoted and kept out of the party’s core group at the behest of the state president. She started attending the party meetings since BJP President JP Nadda’s visit to the state recently.

A fiery orator and the party’s woman face, Sobha has a large following in the party.These cadres are reportedly dissatisfied with the state leadership’s stance towards Sobha. Sobha Surendran’s absence in the campaign has dented party’s chances in the local body polls, said a BJP leader in Kozhikode.