New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister George Kurian and former Union ministers Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan are among the 47 candidates announced by the BJP in its first list for the Kerala Assembly elections.
Fielding a mix of senior leaders and new faces as it prepares for the April 9 polls, the party is hoping to end its electoral drought in the state, where politics has traditionally been dominated by the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF.
Among the prominent names in the list are Kurian, Chandrasekhar and Muraleedharan, along with senior leaders K Surendran, Sobha Surendran, P C George, Padmaja Venugopal, P K Krishnadas, former director general of police R Sreelekha and filmmaker Major Ravi.
Chandrasekhar will contest from the Nemom Assembly constituency, while Muraleedharan has been fielded from Kazhakkoottam, both key constituencies in Thiruvananthapuram district.
Nemom is the only constituency in Kerala that has so far been won by the BJP, when O Rajagopal won the seat in the 2016 Assembly election.
The BJP has now fielded its state president Chandrasekhar from Nemom, hoping to regain the seat in the election.
Kurian will contest from the Kanjirappally constituency in Kottayam district. The seat is considered significant for the BJP as it seeks to expand its presence in Christian-dominated central Kerala constituencies in the election.
Veteran politician George will contest from the Poonjar Assembly constituency in Kottayam district, while Surendran is contesting from the Manjeshwar constituency in Kasaragod district.
Sreelekha has been nominated from Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram, while Padmaja Venugopal will contest from Thrissur.
The party has also announced candidates, including Sobha Surendran from Palakkad, Navya Haridas from Kozhikode North and R Reshmi from Kottarakkara.
Party leaders say the list reflects an effort to balance experienced political leaders with younger faces and professionals from different fields.
Former BJP state president K Surendran, contesting from Manjeshwar, is known for his long political journey that began with student activism in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Over the years, he rose through the party ranks with organisational work and grassroots mobilisation.
In the 2016 Assembly election in Manjeshwar, Surendran narrowly lost by just 89 votes, making it one of the closest electoral contests in Kerala politics.
A familiar political face in central Kerala, P C George has represented the Poonjar constituency several times in the Kerala Assembly.
Before aligning with the BJP, he had earlier served as a leader of the Kerala Congress and had also contested elections as an independent candidate.
George has been active in Kerala politics for more than four decades and is known for his outspoken style in public life.
Sreelekha earlier served in the Indian Police Service and made history as the first woman officer from Kerala to reach the rank of Director General of Police. After retiring from service, she entered politics and later joined the BJP.
She was elected as a councillor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the local body polls held a few months ago.
In Thrissur, the party has nominated Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of former Kerala chief minister K Karunakaran.
Padmaja joined the BJP after a long association with the Congress party and remains a well-known political figure in central Kerala.
In Kozhikode North, the party has nominated Navya Haridas, the state president of the BJP Mahila Morcha. A former software engineer, she had earlier worked in Singapore before returning to Kerala and entering public life.
Navya first gained attention in local politics after winning the Karaparamba ward in the Kozhikode Corporation. She has since been re-elected as a councillor and has been active in party organisational work.
In Ottapalam, the BJP has nominated Major Ravi, a retired Indian Army officer and filmmaker.
Known for directing several Malayalam films based on military themes, Major Ravi earlier served in the Indian Army and the National Security Guard before entering politics.
Another senior leader in the fray is C Krishnakumar, who will contest from the Malampuzha constituency in Palakkad district. A state vice-president of the BJP, he earlier served as vice-chairperson of the Palakkad Municipality and has contested several elections in the region.
The party has also fielded senior leader P K Krishnadas from the Kattakada constituency. Krishnadas, a former state president of the BJP in Kerala, is considered one of the key organisers who helped strengthen the party’s grassroots network in the state.
Among the younger leaders drawing attention in the party’s preparations is Anoop Antony Joseph, who is expected to contest from the Thiruvalla constituency.
At 35, he represents a younger generation of leadership emerging within the BJP’s Kerala unit.
Another young leader in the fray is Shone George, who is contesting from the Pala constituency. An advocate and district panchayat member, he is the son of party leader P C George.
The BJP has also fielded former MLA K Ajith, who joined the party recently after quitting the CPI, from the Vaikom constituency.
The Assembly elections in Kerala will be held in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
