KOCHI: BJP leader K. Surendran has clarified that he won’t contest the upcoming by-elections at any of the six constituencies amidst rumors of him contesting in the by-election to be held at Manjeswaram in Kasaragod.

“If I wanted to contest in Manjeswaram, I would have centralized my work there. Let some regional leaders contest from there”, Surendran said.

“It was difficult to deal with name-calling on social media. After the Lok Sabha polls, it was clear from the reports from the polling booth that there are no possibilities to win”, Surendran added.

The demise of IUML’s MLA P.B. Abdul Razzak has set the stage for a by-election at Manjeswaram. Four sitting MLAs contested in the Lok Sabha election and won which has paved the way for by-elections at Ernakulam, Aroor, Konni, and Vattiyoorkavu. By-election will also be held at Pala constituency due to the death of Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani.