This is the turf of senior BJP leader K Surendran, who has already fought three elections from this constituency since 2011, narrowly losing the last two polls. The 56-year-old former Kerala BJP chief is again in the fray from the seat, hoping to get lucky in his fourth attempt in the April 9 Assembly polls. Manjeshwar marks the only seat in Kerala where the BJP is pitted against the IUML in a direct fight. On the other hand, the BJP’s campaign is centred on a development plank, amplifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch for “Vikasita Keralam (developed Kerala)”. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP’s Suresh Gopi, the actor-turned politician, won from Thrissur, the party’s first ever parliamentary seat in the state.

Source: Indian Express April 05, 2026 09:46 UTC