LS elections: Kerala BJP chief Surendran to take on Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad

K Surendran was named in the BJP's fifth list of candidates and faces a tough task to challenge the Left-Congress dominance in Kerala

The BJP has fielded its Kerala unit chief, K Surendran, from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, where he will take on former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Surendran commented on his candidacy from Wayanad and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party chief JP Nadda, and party National General Secretary B L Santhosh. He said that he will take on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "negative politics". 

"..I will be contesting against Rahul Gandhi's negative politics. In the past 5 years, Rahul Gandhi worked to stop the development. People need PM Modi's guarantee...Rahul Gandhi has done nothing for the people of Wayanad, he is an irresponsible MP…" he said.

While drawing parallels with the outcome of the previous election in Amethi, Surendran expressed confidence in the electorate's support. "Last time, what people of Amethi did; this time, people of Wayanad will do the same," he said.

The BJP, on Monday, announced K Surendran's candidacy from the Wayanad constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Wayanad, traditionally a Congress stronghold since 2009, was retained by Gandhi in 2019 following his loss in the Amethi seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani.

Political pundits believe Surendran's candidacy will challenge the established Congress-Left dominance in Kerala. Although the Congress and the Left are allies at the national level, they remain competitors in this southern state.

Hailing from Kozhikode, Surendran was included in the BJP's fifth list of candidates, alongside actor Kangana Ranaut and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

In the 2019 general elections, Surendran secured third place in the Pathanamthitta constituency, trailing behind the Congress and the Left parties. Before that, he narrowly lost the 2016 assembly polls in Manjeswaram by a margin of just 89 votes. Additionally, he contested a bypoll in 2019 but was unsuccessful.

He was appointed the head of the BJP Kerala unit in 2020 and emerged as a prominent figure leading protests against the entry of young women into Sabarimala.