Kerala polls: BJP state president K Surendran to contest from Manjeshwar, Konni

BJP's candidate list a microcosm of Kerala society with SC, ST candidates in general seats, and eight Christians and two Muslim candidates, says Surendran

BJP Kerala state president K Surendran with party supporters. (Photo | Vincent Pulickal, EPS)

KASARAGOD: BJP state president K Surendran is contesting in two assembly constituencies -- Manjeshwar, where he lost by 89 votes in 2016, and in Konni, the epicentre of Sabarimala protest. It is the first time a BJP leader is contesting from two constituencies in Kerala.

Surendran, who took a chopper to reach Manjeshwar on Sunday, said he was contesting from the two constituencies because the people of both the places inspired confidence in him and the party.

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In Manjeshwar, he said, he lost by 89 votes to PB Abdul Razak "because of bogus voting and cheating by the IUML with the help of the CPM". "It is important that the BJP reclaim Manjeshwar," he said. To be sure, he had gone to the high court alleging bogus voting but could not prove his charge.

On Konni, Surendran said the constituency had given him a lot of emotional experience during the Sabarimala protest. 

Sabarimala is an issue in this election, he said. "(Minister for Devaswom) Kadakampally Surendran said he regretted what happened in Sabarimala. It was him and the chief minister who allowed women to enter Sabarimala," he said. "It is an election issue, whether I contest in Konni or not," he said and added that he was contesting in the two constituencies because the people of both the places reposed faith in him.
To be sure, in the by-election held in 2019, he came third behind the LDF and the UDF candidates with 39,786 votes in Konni. The LDF's Janeesh Kumar polled 54,099 votes.

Surendran said the BJP has brought out an "impressive list of candidates".

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The BJP has fielded luminaries from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in unreserved seats, the party president said. "You will find many women in our list of candidates," he said.

The BJP has given importance to the religious minorities, he said. "We have field eight Christians and two Muslims," he said and added that the BJP's list of candidates was a reflection of Kerala society. "It is a serious effort. We have big hopes of forming the government," he said.

As the party's president, Surendran said, he would be campaigning in all the constituencies in Kerala. "In Manjeshwar and Konni, our party workers will take up the campaign. We have lakhs of party workers," he said.