New Delhi, March 24: Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been unanimously elected as the new president of the party’s Kerala unit, according to an announcement made by Union Minister Prahlad Joshi on Monday.
“Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been elected unanimously,” Joshi confirmed during the announcement.
On Sunday, the central leadership of the BJP proposed Chandrasekhar’s name as the next Kerala BJP president. The decision was finalized in a core committee meeting chaired by BJP central observer Pralhad Joshi, which ruled out any contest for the post. The election notification for the position was issued on Saturday by the party’s state returning officer, Narayanan Namboodiri.
BJP leader V Muraleedharan expressed confidence in Chandrasekhar’s leadership, stating, “The core group unanimously decided that Rajeev Chandrasekhar should be the next Kerala BJP President. Under his leadership, we will ensure that the BJP wins more seats in the local bodies and establishes a significant presence in the Kerala assembly.”
Union Minister Suresh Gopi also praised Chandrasekhar’s potential, adding, “Under Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s leadership, the party will reach the next level of performance, and we are all ready to support him in this mission.”
Chandrasekhar’s appointment as Kerala BJP president is viewed as a strategic move by the party, especially following his strong performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Despite narrowly losing to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor by just 16,077 votes in Thiruvananthapuram, Chandrasekhar significantly increased the BJP’s vote share in the constituency, securing 35.52 percent—improving upon the 32.32 percent achieved by veteran leader O Rajagopal in a previous election.