Entrepreneur-turned-politician and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar is expected to take charge as the next Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief in Kerala. The party’s central leadership has backed his nomination for the role.
Chandrasekhar attended the BJP’s core committee meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. He filed his nomination soon at the party’s state headquarters, Mararji Bhavan.
He is not expected to face any opposition. Party leaders believe his election will be unanimous. The official announcement is set for Monday during a party conclave at Uday Palace Convention Centre in Kowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who oversees BJP’s organisational elections in Kerala, is expected to make the announcement.
Why BJP chose Chandrasekhar?
Chandrasekhar narrowly lost last year’s Lok Sabha election from Thiruvananthapuram. He was defeated by Congress’ Shashi Tharoor by just 16,000 votes.
Despite joining the race late and campaigning for only two months, he delivered a strong performance.
A Nair by caste, he is expected to consolidate upper-caste Hindu votes ahead of the local body elections and next year’s assembly election. His close ties with Ezhava leader Vellappally Natesan and his family could strengthen BJP’s alliance with the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS).
The BJP also seems keen on appealing to Kerala’s Christian community. Christians make up 19 per cent of the state’s population and have traditionally supported Congress. However, some have grown disillusioned with both the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). Many feel their concerns have been ignored, especially as the Muslim community gains greater political influence.
With a growing divide between Christians and Muslims in the state, the BJP sees Chandrasekhar as a leader who can attract Christian support. This could be crucial for the party’s future in Kerala’s complex political landscape.
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