In a bold stride towards the Kerala Legislative Assembly polls, the BJP’s state leadership has compiled a preliminary shortlist of aspirants for 35 constituencies. This development, born from intensive state election committee deliberations, is en route to Delhi for central vetting, with three names per seat under scrutiny.
Although tweaks are possible in select areas, prominent hopefuls are actively mobilizing support on the ground. Leading the charge is state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar from Nemom, the party’s recent fortress. Union Minister V. Muraleedharan eyes Kazhakkoottam, and K. Surendran is directed towards Manjeswaram post-internal consensus.
The list brims with notables like Shobha Surendran, MT Suresh, C. Krishnankutty, actor G. Krishnankutty, R. Srilekha, and Karmana Jayan, blending ideology with star power.
Kerala’s 140-seat Assembly has witnessed BJP’s solitary success in 2016 via O. Rajagopal’s Nemom victory, only for CPI(M) to wrest it in 2021 as Congress faded to third. Yet, resilience shone through: 12.41% votes in 2021 escalated to 19.24% in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, propelled by Suresh Gopi’s Thrissur conquest.
Local body results last December were patchy—Thiruvananthapuram Corporation fell to BJP historically, but overall votes slipped to 14.71%. Mindful of this, the party is synchronizing announcements with fellow election states, prioritizing strategy over haste.
As campaigns intensify, this shortlist heralds the BJP’s calculated bid to disrupt Kerala’s bipolar politics, leveraging momentum from national and local successes.