BJP yet to announce candidate, Sobha Surendran begins campaign in Palakkad
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links. Even before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formally announces its candidates, party leaders have begun campaign activities in some constituencies across Kerala.In Palakkad, Sobha Surendran has started campaigning ahead of the official candidate announcement. BJP workers have begun wall-writing in the constituency, with party leaders inaugurating the campaign activity. Sobha also met local party leaders as part of her outreach and symbolically launched her campaign by painting the BJP’s lotus symbol on a wall.Before beginning her campaign, Sobha offered prayers at the Karnakiyamman Temple, which is considered a BJP stronghold in the area. “I always pray for a double-engine government in Kerala. This time, Palakkad will elect an MLA under the lotus symbol with a huge majority,” she told the media outside the temple.Meanwhile, the absence of BJP district president Prasanth Sivan from Sobha’s programme initially sparked discussion. He later arrived and told reporters that contesting from Palakkad was his personal decision but that the party remained more important than any individual. Sobha also said there were no differences within the party.Sobha had contested from Palakkad in the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election and finished second. Shafi Parambil won the seat with a margin of 17,483 votes, securing 57,559 votes against Sobha’s 40,076.In the 2021 Kerala Assembly election, when E Sreedharan contested from Palakkad for the BJP, the party again finished second, though Shafi Parambil’s winning margin had reduced to 3,859 votes.Across the state, some BJP leaders have begun early campaign activities even before candidate announcements. In Thiruvananthapuram’s Vattiyoorkkavu constituency, BJP state vice president and former DGP R Sreelekha started her campaign on March 7 by writing her name alongside the party’s lotus symbol on a wall.The retired IPS officer, who is also a councillor of the Sasthamangalam ward in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, reportedly began campaign activities after being asked by the party leadership to focus on the Vattiyoorkkavu constituency.
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
EVEN before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formally announces its candidates, party leaders have begun campaign activities in some constituencies across Kerala.
In Palakkad, Sobha Surendran has started campaigning ahead of the official candidate announcement. BJP workers have begun wall-writing in the constituency, with party leaders inaugurating the campaign activity. Sobha also met local party leaders as part of her outreach and symbolically launched her campaign by painting the BJP’s lotus symbol on a wall.
Before beginning her campaign, Sobha offered prayers at the Karnakiyamman Temple, which is considered a BJP stronghold in the area. “I always pray for a double-engine government in Kerala. This time, Palakkad will elect an MLA under the lotus symbol with a huge majority,” she told the media outside the temple.
Meanwhile, the absence of BJP district president Prasanth Sivan from Sobha’s programme initially sparked discussion. He later arrived and told reporters that contesting from Palakkad was his personal decision but that the party remained more important than any individual. Sobha also said there were no differences within the party.
Sobha had contested from Palakkad in the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election and finished second. Shafi Parambil won the seat with a margin of 17,483 votes, securing 57,559 votes against Sobha’s 40,076.
In the 2021 Kerala Assembly election, when E Sreedharan contested from Palakkad for the BJP, the party again finished second, though Shafi Parambil’s winning margin had reduced to 3,859 votes.
Across the state, some BJP leaders have begun early campaign activities even before candidate announcements. In Thiruvananthapuram’s Vattiyoorkkavu constituency, BJP state vice president and former DGP R Sreelekha started her campaign on March 7 by writing her name alongside the party’s lotus symbol on a wall.
The retired IPS officer, who is also a councillor of the Sasthamangalam ward in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, reportedly began campaign activities after being asked by the party leadership to focus on the Vattiyoorkkavu constituency.
