BJP announces second list of candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced its second list of candidates, including 28 BJP and three Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) candidates, for the local body elections for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on Thursday (November 13).

Hindu Aikyavedi district president A. Kasturi, son of late Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader K. Anirudhan and brother of former MP A. Sampath, will contest from Thycaud ward. Mr Kasthuri, who was an SFI activist during his college days, was the chairman of the SFI union at Thiruvananthapuram Engineering College. Thycaud is currently a sitting ward of the LDF, where G. Venugopal of the LDF will contest against M.R. Manoj of the UDF and Mr. Kasturi of the BJP this time.

In Kowdiar ward, Sasthamangalam ward councillor S. Madhusudhanan Nair is pitted against K.S. Sabarinathan of Congress. Apart from three seats for BDJS, NDA allies Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and Kamaraj Congress will contest in one seat each. BDJS candidates were announced recently, while candidates from Shiv Sena and Kamaraj Congress are yet to be announced by the party. The BJP is yet to announce its candidate for one seat.

BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday announced the first list of candidates, with several high-profile candidates, including former Director General of Police (DGP) R. Sreelekha and athlete Padmini Thomas. With the second list, the NDA has announced 98 candidates in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, which has 101 wards.