Thiruvananthapuram , 20 March (H.S.):The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to announce its third phase of candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections shortly, as the party moves closer to finalising its electoral lineup. So far, the BJP has declared candidates for 86 constituencies in two phases, leaving around ten seats yet to be filled.

Key constituencies where candidates are still to be announced include Thiruvananthapuram and Mavelikkara, both of which are considered politically significant. According to sources, the party is making efforts to field a prominent former minister from the Left front as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate in Thiruvananthapuram. Reports suggest that senior BJP leaders have been in continuous contact with the leader, indicating a possible high-profile entry that could reshape the contest in the state capital.

The delay in announcing candidates for certain constituencies is understood to be part of strategic deliberations aimed at strengthening the party’s prospects in tightly contested seats. The BJP is reportedly keen on bringing in influential faces who can attract broader voter support and enhance the NDA’s visibility in Kerala.

The party had released its second list of candidates on Wednesday, featuring several notable names. Senior leader and former state president Kummanam Rajasekharan has been fielded from Aranmula, while BJP state vice president Adv. B. Gopalakrishnan will contest from Guruvayoor.

Interestingly, BJP state general secretary M.T. Ramesh has not been included in the candidate lists announced so far, which has drawn attention within political circles.

With the election date approaching, the BJP is expected to expedite its remaining announcements and intensify campaign activities across the state in the coming days.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman