Bypolls: BJP picks Krishnakumar for Palakkad, Navya Haridas for Wayanad, Balakrishnan for Chelakkara

Thiruvananthapuram: Putting an end to all speculations, the BJP has announced its candidates for the by-elections in Kerala's Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies. Kozhikode Corporation councillor Navya Haridas has been fielded as the candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. The party has high hopes for the Palakkad Assembly constituency, where state general secretary C Krishnakumar will contest. K Balakrishnan will be the candidate in Chelakkara. The list was released by the party’s central election committee.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, Krishnakumar was the BJP candidate for Palakkad. He had contested twice before in the Malampuzha constituency, finishing in second place both times. On one occasion, he lost to veteran Communist leader V S Achuthanandan. 

Although the names of state president K Surendran and Sobha Surendran were also considered for Palakkad, Krishnakumar, a native of the area, was ultimately selected at the last minute. In the last Assembly elections, 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan, who contested on the party's symbol, came second to Shafi Parambil. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Krishnakumar also finished second in the Palakkad Assembly constituency. The Youth Congress state president, Rahul Mamkoottathil, is the Congress candidate, while P Sarin, who left the Congress, is contesting as an Independent supported by the Left.

Navya Haridas, a software engineer, has served as a councillor from Karaparamba ward in the Kozhikode Corporation for the past two terms. She is currently the party leader in the council. In the last Assembly elections, she contested from the Kozhikode South constituency. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, also sister of Rahul Gandhi, is the Congress candidate for the Wayanad constituency vacated by him, while former MLA Satyan Mokeri is the CPI candidate.