"Young leaders leaving Congress as only proximity to Gandhi family matters": Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar welcomed young Congress leaders BS Anoop and Arun Raj into the BJP and said that the party is open for leaders interested in creating "Viksit Kerala."

He said, "It is not about seats. Young leaders are leaving Congress because merit no longer matters - only proximity to the Gandhi family. If you have to become anything in Congress, you have to carry their bags. Anoop and Arun Raj are young leaders. The BJP welcomes hard-working Malayalis who are interested in creating a Viksit Keralam. In Congress, talent plays no role in growth. Other factors that determine growth are sycophancy towards the Gandhi family, not merit. That perception is shared by many within the Congress."

Earlier today, Union Minister Suressh Gopi inaugurated Rajeev Chandrasekhar's election committee office.

The BJP has announced a total of 86 candidates in its two lists for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.

On Thursday, the party released the second list of 39 candidates. The BJP has fielded K Ranjith from Dharmadam against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan has been fielded from Aranmula.

BJP has fielded Ashwini ML from Kasaragod, PR Sivasankar from Ernakulam, Vathsala Prasanna Kumar from Paravur, and Renu Suresh from Kongad.

In its first list of 47 candidates, the party fielded state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar from Nemom seat and former Union Minister of State for External Affairs of India, V Muraleedharan, from Kazhakoottam seat.

Polling for the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, with the counting of votes scheduled to take place on May 4. The tenure of the current assembly is scheduled to end on May 23

Both the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led UDF seek to unseat the incumbent Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF and gain control of the 140-member assembly. (ANI)