Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 16: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to release its candidate list for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections today, Kerala BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday, marking a key step in the party’s preparations for the high-stakes electoral battle in the state.
Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar confirmed that the first official list of candidates will be announced by the party’s central leadership. He indicated that the announcement is part of a phased process, with additional names expected to be revealed in the coming days as the party finalises its full slate for all constituencies.
“The NDA-BJP leadership in Delhi will be releasing the first list of candidates today. Further lists will follow in the next 24 to 48 hours,” Chandrasekhar said, adding that the selection process has been completed after detailed discussions at the central level.
The Kerala Assembly elections are expected to be a closely watched contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The BJP has been working to expand its footprint in the state, where it has traditionally struggled to win seats despite improving vote share in recent elections.
Chandrasekhar has earlier stated that the party’s focus is on fielding strong local candidates and projecting a development-oriented agenda. The BJP leadership believes that a combination of grassroots-level outreach and prominent candidate selection will help it emerge as a stronger force in Kerala politics.
According to party sources, senior leaders and prominent faces are likely to feature in the first list, reflecting the BJP’s strategy of contesting key constituencies with high visibility candidates. The party has already been preparing for the polls through organisational restructuring and intensified campaign activities across the state.
The announcement of candidates is expected to intensify political activity in Kerala, as all major fronts gear up for campaigning. With elections approaching, parties are increasingly focusing on constituency-level strategies, alliances, and voter outreach.
The final candidate lists across constituencies are expected to be completed soon, setting the stage for an intense electoral contest in one of India’s most politically competitive states.
