bjp-releases-second-list-of-39-candidates-for-kerala-polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released its second list of 39 candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, announcing key names and setting up high-profile contests across the state. 

 

Veteran leader Kummanam Rajasekharan, former state president and ex-Governor of Mizoram, has been fielded from the Aranmula constituency in Pathanamthitta district. He is set to face Health Minister Veena George, while the Congress is likely to nominate Youth Congress leader Abin Varkey for the seat. Rajasekharan had earlier contested the 2021 Assembly elections from Nemom, but was defeated by Education Minister V Sivankutty.

 

The BJP has fielded K. Ranjith from Dharmadom, where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking re-election, setting the stage for a closely watched battle. Senior party leader B. Gopalakrishnan will contest from Guruvayoor.

 

In a notable political shift, former CPI MLA C C Mukundan has been nominated from the SC-reserved Nattika constituency in Thrissur. Mukundan recently left the Communist Party after being denied a ticket and subsequently joined the BJP, following unsuccessful talks with the Congress.

 

Adding a touch of unconventional candidature, the BJP has fielded former reality show contestant and social media influencer Robin Radhakrishnan from Kundara in Kollam.

 

 

The party has included five women candidates in its second list, including Ashwini ML, president of the Kasaragod district Mahila Morcha.

 

With this announcement, the BJP has now declared 86 candidates out of the total 140 Assembly seats, having released 47 names in its first list earlier. So far, the party has fielded 11 women candidates, including former DGP R Sreelekha and Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran.

 

The BJP is yet to declare candidates for key constituencies, including Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram Central.

 

Meanwhile, its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners, including Twenty20 and BDJS, have also begun announcing their candidates, signalling the intensification of poll activity in the state.

 

With prominent leaders in the fray and strategic placements across constituencies, the BJP’s second list underlines its attempt to expand its footprint in Kerala’s competitive political landscape.