Kerala Assembly polls 2026: BJP suspends dissident leader in Kottayam

Noble Mathew, national vice-president of the Minority Morcha, has been suspended from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The action against Mr. Mathew, citing “anti-organisational activities,” was taken by BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

The move comes after Mr. Mathew came out publicly opposing the party’s decision to field Union Minister George Kurian as the candidate from Kanjirappally. He accused the party leadership of sidelining hard-working members while favouring others who merely “ride the tide.” He also claimed that the power tussle between the factions of K. Surendran and P.K. Krishnadas and the interests of Mr. Chandrasekhar influenced the candidate selection process.

Mr. Mathew, who has been with the BJP for 11 years, asserted that his family has a strong influence in Kanjirappally and questioned why a candidate with no connection to the constituency was chosen. He further contended that Mr. Kurian would not even secure 2,000 votes in the constituency and that the party should have nominated someone capable of winning the seat.

Meanwhile, a protest is brewing within a section of the BJP workers over the decision to field M.V. Gopakumar as the party’s candidate in the Chengannur Assembly constituency. Party workers who had expected either P.S. Sreedharan Pillai or district president Sandeep Vachaspati to the constituency, regarded as an A class seat for the party, have criticised the decision. They have argued that Mr. Gopakumar, who had lost even in the block panchayat elections, is being fielded in the Assembly polls merely as part of an adjustment with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].