Ex-Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar elected as new Kerala BJP president

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 24 (PTI) Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar was elected as the new president of Kerala state unit of the BJP on Monday.

The party’s central observer Prahlad Joshi made the announcement during the BJP’s state council meeting held here.

Chandrasekhar was the sole nominee for the top post and the leader filed two sets of nomination papers for the position at the BJP headquarters here on Sunday.

During the time of the announcement, all prominent state leaders of the BJP including outgoing president K Surendran and state in charge Prakash Javadekar, were present.

Surendran handed over the party flag to Chandrasekhar on the stage.

During his address, Surendran said the BJP has witnessed unprecedented growth in Kerala in the past 10 years.

Stating that Chandrasekhar was elected to the top post by all party leaders unanimously, he said the leader’s experience and expertise in various sectors would accelerate the growth of the BJP in the state.

The former president also rejected criticism from some quarters that Chandrasekhar is not a regular politician and said he could shine in his new role.

At 60, Chandrasekhar brings two decades of political experience to the role. He has served as a Union Minister of State for the departments of Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti.

He served as Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka for three terms and as the BJP’s national spokesperson. He is the vice-chairman of the NDA’s Kerala unit.

A familiar face in Kerala, Chandrasekhar contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram as the NDA candidate but lost to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor by 16,077 votes.

Born to Keralite parents in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Chandrasekhar has family roots in Thrissur.

His father-in-law is TPG Nambiar, the founder of the BPL Group.

The election was held as K Surendran completes his five-year term as state president.