BJP fields Anil Antony, Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Kerala eyeing 'double digit' victory
Chandrasekhar likely to contest against Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi: In a move towards securing a substantial foothold in Kerala, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) currently lacks representation in the Lok Sabha, the party has nominated Anil Antony and Rajeev Chandrasekhar for the upcoming elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently expressed the party's aspiration to achieve a two-digit figure in Kerala, setting the stage for a fierce electoral battle.
Anil Antony, son of former defense minister AK Antony, will contest from Pathanamthitta, while Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics and Information Technology, and Ministry of Jal Shakti, will make his Lok Sabha debut from Thiruvananthapuram. Chandrasekhar, a technocrat with a background at Intel, previously served as a Rajya Sabha member and holds a significant portfolio in the Union Cabinet.
The BJP aims to bolster its presence in Kerala by fielding strong contenders, including Suresh Gopi from Thrissur, Muraleedharan from Attingal, and Shobha Surendra from Alappuzha. Rajeev Chandrasekhar is expected to face Congress's Shashi Tharoor, the incumbent MP from Thiruvananthapuram, in what is anticipated to be a closely watched contest.
Anil Antony, who joined the BJP in 2023, previously headed the Congress Kerala digital media cell. His decision to switch parties caused a stir, as his father, AK Antony, a long-serving Congress leader, did not endorse his move. In the BJP, Anil Antony serves as the national secretary and a national spokesperson.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, known for his technocratic background and entrepreneurial endeavors, has played a pivotal role in sectors such as telecommunications. With a successful stint at Intel and founding BPL Mobile in India, he later sold his stake to the Essar Group. Chandrasekhar founded Jupiter Capital in 2005, accumulating significant investments in technology, media, hospitality, and entertainment.
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Assam: 20 illegal immigrants pushed back to Bangladesh
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said 20 foreign nationals were apprehended in the state and pushed back to Bangladesh.
"Rude people don't understand soft language... We continuously remind ourselves of this prophetic line when we expel infiltrators from Assam who don't leave themselves. For instance, these 20 illegal Bangladeshis who were PUSHED BACK last night," Sarma said in a post on X.
He, however, did not share details pertaining to the location where they were nabbed or their nationality.
"Assam will fight, Pushbacks WILL CONTINUE," Sarma asserted.
Sribhumi, Cachar, Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar districts in Assam share 267.5 km of the international border with Bangladesh.
There is an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sutarkandi in Sribhumi. The northeast has a total of three ICPs along the India-Bangladesh border, the other two being at Dawki in Meghalaya and Akhaura in Tripura.
Another ICP in the region is at Darranga in Assam along the India-Bhutan border.
The Assam Police had earlier said that the force and the BSF would do everything possible to prevent any attempt by non-Indians to enter the country from Bangladesh, as per law, following a political turmoil in the neighbouring nation in 2024.
However, all Indian passport holders have been allowed to return from trouble-hit Bangladesh through the entry point in the state.
