Kerala BJP
Alphons Kannanthanam and BJP workers celebrate as the party led by PM Narendra Modi was set to retain power for another five years after making a sweep of the Lok Sabha battle and mauling the opposition.IANS

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala is having trouble in identifying the new party chief after the resignation of PS Sreedharan Pillai, who was named the Governor of Mizoram in October.

Even after a severe brainstorming session on Sunday, December 8, the party core committee meeting chaired by national organisation secretary BL Santhosh failed to reach consensus on new state party chief.

According to sources, at the Sunday meeting three names, K Surendran, MT Ramesh and Sobha Surendran came up for discussion. They all are below 50 years of age.

While Surendran is being backed by the faction headed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, Ramesh has the support of former state BJP chief PK Krishnadas. Former Union Minister and the lone BJP legislator in Kerala O Rajagopal wants Sobha Surendran as the new president.

The party's national leadership wants to end the stalemate and is expected to name the new president by the end of this month or early January.

(With agency inputs.)