Thiruvananthapuram, 21 March (HS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday released its third list of candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, announcing nominees in 11 constituencies.
With this, the party has now declared candidates in a total of 97 constituencies, signalling an intensified push ahead of the polls.
Among the prominent names in the latest list is actor Vivek Gopan, who will contest from Aruvikkara.
Other candidates include V. Ratheesh (Peerumedu), Ravindranath Vakathanam (Puthuppally), Ajimon (Mavelikkara), Pandalam Prathapan (Adoor), K.R. Rajesh (Chavara), R.S. Arun Raj (Chadayamangalam), B.S. Anoop (Chirayinkeezhu), Jayan (Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram), T.N. Suresh (Kovalam), and Rajasekharan Nair (Neyyattinkara).
The list also reflects a series of recent political shifts, with two former Congress leaders—B.S. Anoop and R.S. Arun Raj—joining the BJP following dissatisfaction over candidate selection within their former party. Anoop had contested from Chirayinkeezhu in the 2021 Assembly elections as a Congress candidate, while Arun Raj previously served as a Youth Congress general secretary. Both leaders were formally inducted into the BJP by state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Anoop, a former Chirayinkeezhu block panchayat member, reportedly left the Congress in protest against the party’s decision to field Ramya Haridas, citing local opposition to the move. Arun Raj, who was also a KPCC executive member, expressed similar dissatisfaction.
In another notable development, T.N. Suresh, who recently shifted political allegiance, will contest from Kovalam. Meanwhile, the BJP has opted to field Karamana Jayan in Thiruvananthapuram, overlooking senior leader Surendran Pillai, a former minister associated with the RJD who had exited the Left Democratic Front.
The BJP’s latest list underscores its strategy of blending new entrants with established faces as it seeks to expand its footprint in Kerala’s highly competitive electoral landscape.
BJP releases third candidate list in Kerala ,names 11 more leaders
Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday released its third list of candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, announcing nominees in 11 constituencies. With this, the party has now declared candidates in a total of 97 constituencies, signalling an intensified push ahead of the polls.
Among the prominent names in the latest list is actor Vivek Gopan, who will contest from Aruvikkara. Other candidates include V. Ratheesh (Peerumedu), Ravindranath Vakathanam (Puthuppally), Ajimon (Mavelikkara), Pandalam Prathapan (Adoor), K.R. Rajesh (Chavara), R.S. Arun Raj (Chadayamangalam), B.S. Anoop (Chirayinkeezhu), Jayan (Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram), T.N. Suresh (Kovalam), and Rajasekharan Nair (Neyyattinkara).
The list also reflects a series of recent political shifts, with two former Congress leaders—B.S. Anoop and R.S. Arun Raj—joining the BJP following dissatisfaction over candidate selection within their former party. Anoop had contested from Chirayinkeezhu in the 2021 Assembly elections as a Congress candidate, while Arun Raj previously served as a Youth Congress general secretary. Both leaders were formally inducted into the BJP by state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Anoop, a former Chirayinkeezhu block panchayat member, reportedly left the Congress in protest against the party’s decision to field Ramya Haridas, citing local opposition to the move. Arun Raj, who was also a KPCC executive member, expressed similar dissatisfaction.
In another notable development, T.N. Suresh, who recently shifted political allegiance, will contest from Kovalam. Meanwhile, the BJP has opted to field Karamana Jayan in Thiruvananthapuram, overlooking senior leader Surendran Pillai, a former minister associated with the RJD who had exited the Left Democratic Front.
The BJP’s latest list underscores its strategy of blending new entrants with established faces as it seeks to expand its footprint in Kerala’s highly competitive electoral landscape.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
