Thiruvananthapuram: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday released the third list of candidates for Kerala Assembly Elections. With this the party
has announced a total of 97 candidates so far for the upcoming elections. The one-phase elections for all 140 seats will be held on April 9. Results will be announced on May 4.
As per the list announced on Saturday, the party has fielded district president Karamana Jayan from Thiruvananthapuram. He will take on actor Sudheer Karamana, who is contesting as an LDF-backed independent, and UDF leader C P John.
Antony Raju, the sitting MLA of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress (JKC), an LDF ally, was earlier disqualified after his sentencing by a magistrate’s court in evidence tampering case.
Businessman S Rajasekharan Nair to contest from Neyyattinkara
Businessman S Rajasekharan Nair has also been fielded from Neyyattinkara. Earlier, in 2021 he had contested from the same constituency, but finished third behind CPI(M) leader K Ansalan and Congress leader R Selvaraj. He will face sitting MLA Ansalan and Congress candidate N Sakthan this time.
Apart from them, the party has fielded BS Anoop Chirayinkeezhu from the constituency and R S Arun Raj from Chadayamangalam. The latter joined the party after he was denied a ticket by Congress. TN Suresh, who earlier joined the BJP from the RJD, has been fielded from Kovalam.
Actor Vivek Gopan fielded from Aruvikkara
The party has also fielded actor Vivek Gopan from Aruvikkara, Raveendranath Vakathanam from Puthuppally constituency. He will be up against sitting MLA Chandy Oommen, son of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
V Ratheesh has been given the ticket from Peerumade, Ajimon from Mavelikkara, Pandalam Prathapan in the SC-reserved Adoor and K R Rajesh in Chavara. The other NDA partners Twenty20 and BDJS, had also announced their candidates for the Assembly polls recently.
