Kerala BJP appoints firebrand leader K Surendran as new state president

With the appointment of BJP's firebrand leader K Surendran as the party's state president in Kerala, the BJP leadership seems to be targeting further consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of the party in the state.

The BJP Kerala president post was lying vacant over the last few months after previous president P S Sreedharan Pillai was appointed as Mizoram Governor.

Surendran had even attained national attention through the fierce stir against entry of women in 10-50 age group to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in 2018. He was arrested by the police while proceeding to Sabarimala as a devotee with 'Irumudikettu' (offerings to the lord) and was subsequently jailed for 20 days.

In the Lok Sabha election Surendran contested from Pathanamthitta constituency where Sabarimala is located. Though he could finish only in the third position, he secured 2.95 lakh votes compared to only 1.38 lakh-odd votes by the BJP candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2016 Kerala Assembly elections Surendran lost by just 89 votes from the Manjeshwar seat on the Kerala - Karnataka border in Kasargod district.

Party sources said that at present the conditions are quite favourable for BJP's further growth in Kerala against the backdrop of the CAA issue. Hence, Surendran might be able to cash in on the opportunity effectively for Hindu vote consolidation in the upcoming local body elections and the Assembly polls next year. At present, BJP has only one MLA in Kerala, that too for the first time.

The elevation of Surendran would also give an upper hand for Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan in BJP's factionalism in Kerala as Surendran is considered to be his close confidant. Apart from Surendran, MT Ramesh and Sobha Surendran were also actively considered for the president post. All the three are party general secretaries.

Surendran is a native of Ulliyeri on the rural parts of Kozhikode district in North Kerala. He came up through the ABVP and Yuva Morach.