The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced its first list of 47 candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, fielding several prominent leaders, including former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and former state president K Surendran.
Among the notable candidates, Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been fielded from the Nemom constituency, while K Surendran will contest from Manjeshwar.
The list also includes former national Mahila Morcha president Sobha Surendran from Palakkad. Other candidates include Navya Haridas from Kozhikode North and Padmaja Venugopal from Thrissur. Former Union minister V Muraleedharan will contest from Kazhakoottam, while PC George has been fielded from Poonjar.
Candidates Across Key Constituencies
The candidates announced cover constituencies across the state, including Manjeshwar, Udma, Kannur, Vadakara, Kozhikode North, Palakkad, Thrissur, Pala, Haripad, Thiruvalla, Attingal, Kazhakoottam and Kattakkada, among others.
Poll schedule and Political Backdrop
The Kerala Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes will take place on May 4.
The state has 140 Assembly seats. Pinarayi Vijayan has been serving as chief minister since 2016, leading the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
Kerala politics is traditionally dominated by two major alliances, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Indian National Congress under opposition leader VD Satheesan.
The LDF is seeking a third consecutive term, which would be unusual in Kerala’s politics that historically saw power alternate between the LDF and UDF.
BJP Focus on Moderate Target
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), is trying to expand its presence in the state with its announcement of 47 candidates in its first list.
The BJP, which has struggled to convert its vote share into Assembly seats in Kerala, is adopting a more focused strategy for the 2026 elections. As per media reports, the party is concentrating on around 10 constituencies where it believes it has realistic prospects based on organisational strength and local political dynamics.
The party is working on strengthening its presence at the booth level, carrying out targeted outreach, and deploying senior national leaders in these constituencies. While issues linked to the Sabarimala Temple agitation and welfare initiatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government under Narendra Modi are expected to remain key campaign themes, the party is also trying to tailor its messaging to suit Kerala’s local political context.