BJP still has miles to go in Kerala :::: Three MLAs --- that may be 'lucky' as in 2016 Bengal BJP too had 3 legislators

BJP wins three seats in Kerala, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan make the cut

BJP Kerala unit president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who lost the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in 2024, announced his candidacy for Nemom, before election dates had even been set.

He commanded a considerable lead in the Nemom segment in 2024 and hence Rajeev started working since December 2025.

A surprise victory for the BJP came from the Chathannoor constituency in Kollam, which had been held by the CPI for the past 15 years. 

BJP leader B B Gopakumar, who had finished second in Chathannoor in the previous two elections, won with a margin of 4,398 votes, defeating R Rajendran of the CPI. 

The LDF had replaced its MLA of 15 years, S Jayalal, with Rajendran.

The third BJP conquest was 'Kazhakoottam'. This srgment fell to the BJP in the final rounds of counting. 

In 2021, LDF candidate Kadakampally Surendran had publicly apologised for the Sabarimala incidents before the elections and successfully defended his Kazhakoottam seat against a strong challenge from BJP's Sobha Surendran,

In 2026, he again faced intense BJP criticism over the Sabarimala gold theft allegations and lost his seat to former Union Minister V Muraleedharan.

The intensity of the battle could be understood as the margin was a modest 428 votes. 

"I have been saying since 2025 that whatever the CPI(M) tries, it won't win this election. This was an anti-CPI(M) election, after their ten years of rule and the Sabarimala theft," Chandrasekhar said about the BJP's victory in Kerala. "I promise the people of Nemom that I will be their servant and work for them 24 hours a day," he added.

The BJP's success in West Bengal has brought in reasons for encouragement for the Kerala unit as well. In lighter vein, the victory of three MLAs is being considered as good omen as the party had three legislators in 2016 in West Bengal too. And within 10 years, they have crossed the 200 mark in the 294-member assembly. 

K N Balagopal - CPI-M leader

K.N. Balagopal maybe will be a leader to watch in future among the communists. 

He was Finance Minister of Kerala under Pinarayi Vijayan. 

A CPI(M) leader from Pathanamthitta, he has presented multiple state budgets (2021-2026) focusing on social security, welfare pensions, and navigating severe fiscal challenges. In case Vijayan now gives up leadership due to age factor; the focus may shift to Balagopal.  

He was also a Rajya Sabha MP between 2010 and 2016. 

In the BJP win; there was one common factor between three newly elected MLAs. They all could snatch the seat from the CPI-M or Communist parties held seats.  

This has a significance because possibly two good prospective women candidates of the BJP lost the polls this year essentially because their closest rivals were from Congress. Actually, the 2026 assembly polls in Kerala this time was a poll of pro-Congress wave. Perhaps a rate thing to happen since 2014. 

Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of Late former CM K Karunakaran, and BJP candidate lost the prestigious  Thrissur Assembly seat to Congress candidate Rajan. Similarly, despite big push, Sobha Surendran fell in Palakkad also to a Congress nominee.  

The BJP’s prospects were affected by several factors, including the central government’s amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, which impacted its outreach to Christian voters. 

The UDF, by contrast, consolidated support among both Christian and Muslim communities, further limiting the NDA’s electoral opportunities. 

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