Krishnadas is new state BJP chief

Thrissur: The faction-ridden Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to avert a showdown and elected P.K. Krishnadas yesterday as its president after several days of squabbling.

Krishnadas's election was announced by state returning officer for party polls P. Radhakrishnan. Krishnadas is a close associate of the former BJP organising secretary P.P. Mukundan.

Elections to the party National Council from the state would also take place as more aspirants were still in the fray for 20 berths from the state, BJP sources said. A showdown between warring factions appeared certain till yesterday morning with the state party chief P.S. Sreedharan Pillai group refusing to withdraw its candidate against Krishnadas.

However, eleventh-hour parleys among leaders yielded results with the view prevailing that an election would seriously tarnish the party's image in the state.

The parleys also succeeded in deciding who should contest the National Council.

The official factions would put up four candidates as against the Mukundan faction's 10.