Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 5 (IANS): In a minor shake-up in the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), five district chiefs have been moved out while K. Surendran continued to hold the post of party president despite speculations that he might be removed and replaced by actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi.

Three new vice presidents were brought in while five new secretaries were also appointed.

Popular TV actor and a candidate in the April 6 assembly polls, G. Krishnakumar along with former Congress leader G. Raman Nair and two others have been nominated to the national council.

Ever since the BJP lost its only seat in the Kerala Assembly polls and also saw a decline in its vote share, the party's national leadership has been cut up with the state's current leadership held by Surendran.

Moreover, Surendran is presently entangled in a few cases which includes an election case in which he has already been questioned and a fresh notice has been sent to him asking him to appear again.

In another case which involves money transactions during the recent April 6 assembly elections, an audio clip surfaced where a voice similar to his could be heard talking to another party leader about money.