Kerala BJP, BJP Kerala, Kerala medical college scam
Amit Shah's Lotus project fails to put down roots in KeralaBJP Keralam

The Kerala state unit of the BJP is bracing for a huge fallout in the wake of the leaked report of the internal probe ordered by its central leadership on a medical college scam.

The probe follows allegations that the owner of SR Medical College and Research Centre and Bharat Dharma Jana Sena leader R Shaji reportedly gave a bribe of Rs 5.6 crore to Yuvamorcha leader and convener of BJP Co-operative Cell R S Vinod, for the Medical Council of India's (MCI) recognition to the private medical college in Varkala.The said amount was paid through a hawala dealer to a Delhi-based middleman.

The startling findings are in a report submitted to BJP state chief Kummanam Rajasekharan but it was leaked on a regional channel leaving the saffron party's state and central leadership red-faced as prominent members of the party in Kerala are believed to have been involved. The two-member probe committee of senior BJP leaders K P Sreesan Master and A K Nazeer had observed that the charges in the report are serious in nature and recommended strict action against the leaders. BJP state general secretary M T Ramesh was also alleged to have involvement in another medical college scam. The fingers are pointing at SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan for the leakage as he is said to have not been happy with the BJP leadership as they did not fulfil the promises made to him.

These findings and the leakage of reports are expected to result in a stormy session during the BJP core committee meeting which is scheduled to happen on Friday, July 21. On Thursday, M.B. Rajesh, MP, raised the issue in Lok Sabha moving an adjournment motion. The opposition also entered the well of the House demanding a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The findings of the internal committee probe surprisingly came to light at a time when BJP's central and state leaderships are trying to make inroads in Kerala. It is also interesting to note that the police arrested a Yuva Morcha leader by name Rakesh Erachery in June for possession of counterfeit currency notes and the machine used for printing them.