2 min readMar 19, 2026 02:46 PM ISTKummanam Rajasekharan will contest from the Aranmula seat. (File Photo)Former Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajasekharan will contest from the Aranmula Assembly seat in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.He figures in the second list of 39 candidates released Thursday.Earlier, the BJP had released a list of 47 candidates, largely focusing on seats where the party sees a fighting chance. Prominent in the second list is B Gopalakrishnan, who has been given the temple town of Guruvayur.Sitting MLA C C Mukundan, who quit the CPI after being denied a ticket, will be the BJP candidate in Nattika. M J Job, who left the Congress in protest against his party’s decision to back CPI(M) rebel G Sudhakaran in Ambalapuzha, will be fielded in Alappuzha as the BJP candidate.Valsala Prasanna Kumar, who recently quit the Congress in Ernakulam, is the BJP candidate in Paravur, the seat of Opposition leader V D Satheesan.After the first list was released, there was resentment within the BJP as several senior leaders, including Rajasekharan, did not figure in it despite the inclusion of seats where the party is mobilising its election machinery. Rajasekharan, who was state president during the 2016 Assembly elections, had lost from Nemom in 2021, then the BJP’s only sitting seat.Also Read | Kerala churn begins: Denied ticket, CPI MLA joins BJP, claims seats being ‘sold’Rajasekharan has been active in Aranmula protesting a greenfield airport project, alleging it would destroy the region’s heritage and ecosystem. He will take on two-term legislator and Health Minister Veena George.Story continues below this adAt the same time, resentment is brewing among a section of BJP workers in Ernakulam over the party’s failure to field its own candidate in Thrippunithura, where it has a strong presence. The BJP captured the Tripunithura municipality in the recent local body elections and secured over 15 per cent of the vote in 2021.However, the seat has been given to Twenty20, floated by the KITEX group, which has fielded actor Anjali Nair. The BJP has also allotted Kodungallur, a temple town, to Twenty20 despite having secured 18 per cent of the vote there last time.Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd