NEW DELHI: The BJP has compiled a list of socio-cultural figures, including film stars, former IAS and IPS officials and former vice-chancellor as candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls. Newcomers also made significant inroads in the BJP list. There were also some surprise entries from the UDF and LDF to the BJP list.

Movie star and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi will contest from Thrissur and actor Krishnakumar from Thiruvananthapuram. Sandeep Warrier, the main face of the party in channel discussions, will contest in Shornur. Serial actor Vivek Gopan will be the BJP candidate in Kollam Chavara. Former DYFI leader K Sanju will be the candidate in Mavelikkara. Sanju was a member of the DYFI district secretariat and a member of the CPM Chunakkara local committee.

Former IPS officer Jacob Thomas will contest from Iringalakuda and former Calicut University Vice Chancellor Dr Abdul Salam from Tirur. Abdul Salam was the VC of Kozhikode as the Muslim League nominee. Manikuttan, the first Adivasi engineer, will contest from Mananthavady. Former Union Minister Alphonse Kannanthanam will contest from Kanjirapally. CK Padmanabhan is contesting against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Dharmadam.

Kozhikode South, which was earlier contested by BDJS, was taken over by BJP this time. Here, youth leader Navya Haridas will be the candidate. KP Prakash Babu is the candidate from Beypore. In Malampuzha, where the party came second last time, C Krishnakumar will seek public mandate again. Thrissur district secretary A Nagesh will contest from Puthukkad, the party's stronghold. Pandalam Sudhakaran's brother Pandalam Prathapan, who joined the BJP last week, will contest from Adoor as a party candidate.