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Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been unanimously elected as the BJP president of Kerala.
Union Minister Prahlad Joshi officially made the official announcement on Monday. "Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been elected unanimously," Joshi said. On Sunday, the central leadership of the BJP proposed the name of former MP and Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar as the next president of the party's Kerala unit. The core committee meeting, chaired by BJP central observer Pralhad Joshi, finalised the decision. With the central leadership's strong backing for Chandrasekhar, a contest for the post has been ruled out. The election notification was issued on Saturday by the party's state returning officer, Narayanan Namboodiri. On Sunday, BJP leader V Muraleedharan said, "The core group unanimously decided that Rajeev Chandrasekhar should be the next (Kerala BJP) President. In the coming elections, under Rajeev Chandrasekhar's leadership, the Kerala BJP will ensure that the BJP wins more seats in the local bodies and makes a significant presence in the Kerala assembly." Union Minister Suresh Gopi earlier said, "Under Rajeev Chandrasekhar's leadership, the party will reach the next level of performance, for which all of us are getting more equipped to support him." The appointment of Chandrasekhar as BJP's Kerala president is seen as a strategic move by the party, aiming to build on the momentum gained in the state. BJP's decision to field Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Thiruvananthapuram nearly paid off, as Chandrasekhar put up a strong fight. Though he lost the election by a narrow margin of 16,077 votes, he significantly improved the party's vote share in the constituency, securing 35.52 per cent--better than veteran leader O Rajagopal's 32.32 per cent in a previous election. (ANI)
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