BJP Kerala candidate list drama: Central leadership hints at last-minute changes

Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP’s central leadership has advised Kerala state leaders not to release the assembly election candidate list too early, hinting at possible last-minute changes even as some constituencies appear certain.

Early list release halted

The Kerala state leadership had planned to announce candidates for major constituencies in the first week of January. However, after submitting the proposed list to Delhi, the BJP central leadership advised against an early release. Officials said that fielding NDA candidates without factoring in the moves of LDF and UDF could be detrimental to the party’s prospects.

While last-minute adjustments are expected in the overall candidate list, constituencies such as Nemom (Rajeev Chandrasekhar), Kazhakootam (V. Muraleedharan), Manjeshwaram (K. Surendran), and Kattakada (P.K. Krishnadas) are unlikely to see changes.

Candidates advised to focus locally, avoid early campaigning

Leaders expected to contest have been instructed to concentrate on their respective constituencies. They have been given election-related responsibilities but have been asked not to conduct campaigns that would publicly confirm them as candidates. Despite this caution, most are likely to contest in their assigned areas.

More than five agencies have conducted surveys for the BJP, and an additional survey is being coordinated by Vinod Dhawan, national general secretary in charge of Kerala. The final candidate list will combine grassroots feedback with survey results.

State leaders have begun travelling to district centres to gather opinions from core committee members of organizational constituencies within each assembly segment. Once these consultations are complete, the candidate list will be finalised and submitted to the state election committee.