With Assembly polls due next year, K Surendran likely to continue as Kerala BJP president

Thiruvananthapuram: K Surendran is likely to continue as BJP Kerala president even as the party was considering various options, including former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar for the post.

With the local body elections set to happen this year and assembly polls next year, the national leadership is learnt to be considering the status quo for the time being.

Apart from Chandrasekhar, firebrand woman leader Sobha Surendran and senior leader M T Ramesh were the other probables for the president post.

Surendran, who shot to limelight with the stir against allowing women in the 10-50 age group to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in 2018-19, has completed five years as BJP president, which included a two year extension. Hence there is no hurdle for another term for Surendran.

Despite a slight fall in vote share in 2021 assembly polls, the BJP could generally retain its upward trend in electoral politics in Kerala under his leadership and the party could also open an account to the Lok Sabha from Thrissur.

However, the recent setback for the party in the assembly by-poll at Palakkad, which was considered as one of the most winnable seats of the party, was a setback to Surendran.

Even as Sobha Surendran and M T Ramesh were considered to be the most eligible leaders in the state to succeed Surendran, there is a concern that appointing any of them could trigger infights in the party. Hence the party is also considering Rajeev Chandrasekhar as an option.

Chandrasekhar who gave a tough fight to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in the Lok Sabha election in Thiruvananthapuram has plans to focus his works in Kerala, especially Thiruvananthapuram. He recently purchased a house in Thiruvananthapuram, which was widely interpreted as part of his plans to focus on the state. But he is new to Kerala politics and hence his elevation as state president may not go down well with party cadres.

Being a woman and a member of an OBC community (Hindu-Ezhava, which is the largest Hindu community) are factors in favour of Sobha Surendran apart from her impressive performance in elections. But infights in the party is a key hurdle she faces. The party is also seeing her as one of the most winnable candidates in the next assembly elections.