Nemom holds a special place in the BJP’s electoral history, with O Rajagopal becoming the party’s first MLA in Kerala by winning the seat in 2016.
Published Dec 02, 2025 | 8:11 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 02, 2025 | 8:11 PM
Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The declaration assumes significance as it comes even before the BJP has officially begun internal discussions on candidate selection. Nemom holds a special place in the BJP’s electoral history, with O Rajagopal becoming the party’s first MLA in Kerala by winning the seat in 2016.
Kerala BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has announced that he will contest from Nemom in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.
He made the revelation during the Thrissur Press Club’s Vote Vibe programme, on Tuesday, 2 December, responding to a query on whether he planned to enter the fray.
Chandrasekhar said he was prepared to contest and could disclose his constituency if needed. Moments later, he confirmed Nemom as his choice.
The declaration assumes significance as it comes even before the BJP has officially begun internal discussions on candidate selection.
Nemom holds a special place in the BJP’s electoral history, with O Rajagopal becoming the party’s first MLA in Kerala by winning the seat in 2016.
However, the BJP failed to retain the constituency in 2021, when V Sivankutty of the CPI(M) defeated Kummanam Rajasekharan.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Chandrasekhar, who contested against Shashi Tharoor, in the Thiruvananthapuram seat, had secured a lead in Nemom segment.
When asked whether Tharoor would switch sides and join the BJP, Chandrasekhar dismissed the possibility, saying he harboured no such expectations.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar was chosen as the state chief in March 2025.
Chandrasekhar had been elected to the Rajya Sabha for three consecutive terms from Karnataka since 2006. He was appointed a Union Minister of State (MoS) in 2021. He was also the vice-chairman of the NDA in Kerala.
Chandrasekhar was born in 1964 in Ahmedabad to Malayali parents. His father was an Indian Air Force official.
He has a degree in electrical engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology and a post-graduate degree in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, the US.
In 1991, Chandrasekhar joined his father-in-law’s company, BPL Group, and in 1994, he founded BPL Mobile.
In July 2005, he sold his 64 percent stake in BPL Communications to Essar Group. Chandrasekhar founded Jupiter Capital in 2005, which also owns the Asianet News channel.
In 2018, he entered into politics by becoming a Rajya Sabha member supported by the BJP.
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
