Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar to take over as Kerala BJP president
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 23 (PTI): BJP leader and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar is likely to become the state president of the saffron party, as he is the sole nominee for the post, party sources said.
A formal announcement will be made following the party’s state council meeting on Monday.
BJP's central observer Prahlad Joshi is expected to officially declare his appointment on Monday, sources added.
On Sunday, Chandrasekhar filed two sets of nomination papers for the position at the BJP headquarters in the state capital.
Present on the occasion were state president K Surendran and senior BJP leaders Kummanam Rajasekharan, V Muraleedharan, PK Krishnadas, MT Ramesh, along with Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian.
At 60, Chandrasekhar brings two decades of political experience to the role. He has served as a Union Minister of State for the departments of Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti.
He served as Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka for three terms and as the BJP’s national spokesperson. He is the vice-chairman of the NDA’s Kerala unit.
A familiar face in Kerala, Chandrasekhar contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram as the NDA candidate but lost to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor by 16,077 votes.
Born to Keralite parents in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Chandrasekhar has family roots in Thrissur.
His father-in-law is TPG Nambiar, the founder of the BPL Group.
The election is being held as incumbent state president K Surendran completes his five-year term.
Speculation had been rife that he might continue in the role, in view of the upcoming local body elections and the 2026 Assembly polls.
According to party sources, BJP state leaders Shobha Surendran and MT Ramesh were also considered strong contenders for the post. However, K Surendran, in a TV interview, said he had already informed the central leadership that he was not interested in continuing in the position.
Reacting to the development, BJP leader Shobha Surendran welcomed the decision, stating that Chandrasekhar is well-equipped to lead the party effectively.
"The decision to appoint him was unanimous, and his leadership qualities will help take the party forward," she told reporters here.
Senior leader MT Ramesh echoed similar sentiments, emphasising that Chandrasekhar is no stranger to Kerala politics and expressing confidence in his leadership.
"He put up an impressive performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Thiruvananthapuram, coming close to victory, which reflects his strong support among the people," Ramesh said.
Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi stated that Rajeev Chandrasekhar could serve as a "catalyst" in strengthening the party’s organisational efforts.
"A strong team of Union Ministers and senior leaders will support him in fulfilling his responsibilities with unity," he told the reporters.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
