BJP releases third candidate list for Kerala polls; names announced for 11 constituencies

Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its third list of candidates for the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly election, announcing nominees for 11 constituencies and taking the total number of declared candidates to 97.

The latest list reflects the party’s continued efforts to strengthen its position in the state by balancing organisational experience and recent political entrants. As per the announcement, V. Ratheesh will contest from Peerumedu, Ravindranath Vakathanam from Puthuppally, Ajimon from Mavelikkara, and Pandalam Prathapan from Adoor.

K.R. Rajesh has been fielded from Chavara, R.S. Arun Raj from Chadayamangalam, and B.S. Anoop from Chirayinkeezhu. In the state capital, Karaman Jayan will represent the NDA from Thiruvananthapuram, while Vivek Gopan will contest from Aruvikkara. T.N. Suresh has been nominated from Kovalam and Rajasekharan Nair from Neyyattinkara.

The list has drawn attention due to the inclusion of several leaders who recently switched political affiliations. Notably, B.S. Anoop and R.S. Arun Raj, both former members of the Indian National Congress, have been given tickets. Their induction into the BJP had earlier been facilitated by state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, signalling the party’s intent to expand its base by attracting leaders dissatisfied with rival parties.

Anoop, who had contested the 2021 elections from Chirayinkeezhu as a Congress candidate, had quit the party alleging neglect of local sentiments in candidate selection. Similarly, Arun Raj, a former Youth Congress general secretary and KPCC executive committee member, joined the BJP citing internal dissatisfaction.

Their candidature is seen as a strategic move by the BJP to capitalise on factionalism within the Congress. In another notable development, T.N. Suresh, who had shifted from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to the ISJD, has now been fielded from Kovalam.

\Suresh had earlier exited the RJD reportedly aspiring for a Left Democratic Front (LDF) ticket, but the BJP’s decision to nominate him indicates its attempt to tap into leaders with cross-party appeal.

Meanwhile, the BJP has chosen Karaman Jayan as its candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Central constituency, overlooking the name of former minister Surendran Pillai. Party insiders suggest that Jayan’s organisational experience and local popularity played a key role in his selection.

With this third list, the BJP appears to be consolidating its electoral strategy in Kerala by combining grassroots leaders with defectors from other parties. Political observers note that while the party still faces stiff competition from both the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF, such candidate selections could influence local dynamics in closely contested constituencies.