Written by Liz Mathew
| Thiruvananthapuram/new Delhi |
Updated: March 14, 2021 10:02:40 pm
It’s a state the place it doesn’t have excessive stakes. However, if its record of candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls is any indication, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be spoiling for a combat.
The saffron social gathering put out an inventory of 112 candidates on Sunday, placing the likes of actor-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi, ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan, state social gathering chief Okay Surendran, former Vigilance director Jacob Thomas, former Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajashekaran and former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Alphons Kannanthanam within the electoral forefront.
Party nationwide government committee member PK Krishnadas, former DGP Jacob Thomas, actor Krishnakumar and former Calicut University VC Abdul Salam are additionally amongst distinguished names within the BJP record.
Polling for the Assembly shall be held in a single section on April 6.
Both Gopi and Kannanthanam contested 2019 Lok Sabha elections however misplaced. Whle the previous was defeated by TN Pratapan in Thrissur, Kannanthanam misplaced to Hibi Eden. Both the successful candidates had been from the Congress-led UDF.
Gopi will attempt his luck once more from Thrissur Assembly constituency, Kannanthanam has moved to his hometown Kanjirappally to hunt his maiden entry to the House.
Rajasekharan will characterize the BJP in Nemom, the constituency from the place the social gathering gained its maiden seat within the Assembly in 2016. The social gathering dropped its sole sitting legislator O Rajagopal and introduced Rajasekharan in his place. The Congress has fielded senior chief Okay Muraleedharan within the hope of wresting the seat from the BJP.
Former BJP state president CK Padmanabhan faces an uphill process towards Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Dharmadam constituency.
BJP sources within the nationwide capital stated the social gathering has gone with acquainted faces to “make the best of its chances” in a state the place UDF and the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF have historically taken turns at energy and governance. “The goodwill these leaders garnered during the 2019 elections could be advantageous to them and boost their chances of winning these seats,” a celebration chief stated.
Interestingly, Surendran is contesting two seats – Manjeshwar of Kasargode district in northern Malabar area and Konni of Pathanamthitta district in central Kerala. Surendran misplaced the Manjeahwar seat by simply 86 votes within the final election. He was fielded because the social gathering’s nominee for the Konni bypoll final 12 months, however misplaced once more.
The transfer to contest two seats the place the social gathering wields appreciable affect in some pockets hasn’t gone down effectively with some state leaders. “This is ridiculous. Not even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan or his predecessor Oommen Chandy is contesting two constituencies. This could hurt our prospects in both the constituencies,” stated a celebration chief in Kerala.
Despite voicing his willingness to contest, Union Minister V Muraleedharan’s identify doesn’t determine within the record of 112 candidates. The BJP is contesting 115 of the 144 constituencies in Kerala, having allotted 35 seats to ally BDJS.
Senior chief Sobha Surendran additionally didn’t discover a place within the record introduced on Sunday.
While the BJP drew a clean in Kerala within the final Lok Sabha elections, the NDA elevated its vote share to fifteen.20% from 10.85% in 2014.
With inputs from Shaju Philip