Rajeev Chandrasekhar to lead BJP in Kerala
FORMER Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar is all set to helm the BJP in Kerala, according to reports.
The BJP state core committee, chaired by central observer Prahlad Joshi in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, unanimously agreed to select Chandrasekhar to lead the party as per the central leadership's recommendation.
Though the proposal was accepted by the meeting, the official announcement in this regard will come only on Monday. With this, it is almost clear that there wouldn't be a contest in the state unit for the post.
Chandrasekhar, who will file the nomination papers on Sunday, was initially reluctant to accept the task. However, the central leadership insisted on him as they believed Chandrasekhar's presence was crucial to attracting youth to the party, especially through social media. The central leadership hopes that Chandrasekhar's 'technocrat' image could boost the party's standing with the younger generation.
It is said that the BJP plans to interact closely with the beneficiaries of the central schemes, to win more seats in the local body elections as a first step. Chandrasekhar, the party believes, can be the perfect messenger for the same. The former MP has vowed to stay in the state to spend more time in the constituency.
There is also a hope that he can unite the deeply divided BJP in Kerala ahead of next year's Assembly elections.
The BJP was also convinced of Rajeev's potential after he put up a tight fight against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Chandrasekhar who maintained a steady lead throughout the fight, lost to Tharoor only after the minority-dominated coastal votes came into play.
A former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member, Chandrasekhar also set a record in terms of the party's vote share in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, pocketing 35.52 per cent, breaking the record set by senior leader O Rajagopal at 32.32 per cent.
With two decades of political experience, Chandrasekhar will also be the first BJP leader to become the state president of the party without a Sangh Parivar background. He had also served as the vice-chairman of the Kerala NDA. Since 2006, he has been in the Rajya Sabha for three consecutive terms from Karnataka.
