THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala BJP President and Nemom constituency candidate, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on Friday slammed the Congress, claiming that leaders are leaving the party because “only proximity to the Gandhi family” matters.
Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar welcomed young Congress leaders BS Anoop and Arun Raj into the BJP, saying the party is open to leaders committed to building a “Viksit Kerala.”
He said, “It is not about seats. Young leaders are leaving Congress because merit no longer matters—only closeness to the Gandhi family. To rise in Congress, one must display sycophancy rather than talent. Anoop and Arun Raj are hardworking young leaders, and the BJP welcomes Malayalis committed to creating a Viksit Keralam. In Congress, merit plays little role; growth is determined by loyalty to the Gandhi family, a perception shared by many within the party.”
The BJP has announced 86 candidates across two lists for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. The second list of 39 candidates, released on Thursday, includes K Ranjith from Dharmadam, contesting against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan from Aranmula. Other candidates include Ashwini ML (Kasaragod), PR Sivasankar (Ernakulam), Vathsala Prasanna Kumar (Paravur), and Renu Suresh (Kongad).
The first list of 47 candidates features state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar from Nemom and former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, from Kazhakoottam.
Polling for the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections is scheduled for a single phase on April 9, with counting of votes on May 4. The current assembly’s tenure ends on May 23.
Both the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led UDF aim to unseat the incumbent Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF and take control of the 140-member assembly.
(WIth inputs from ANI)