THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP is all set to gain a foothold in Kerala. The party somehow wants to open an account in Kerala in the Lok Sabha elections this time. It is heard that top leaders of the party will be in the race in the capital city. The names of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, a Keralite and IT Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name is heard.

Sitting MP and Congress Working Committee member Shashi Tharoor has announced that he is not afraid even if Modi comes. BJP state president K Surendran responded that anything can happen. Thiruvananthapuram will be one of the VVIP constituencies that the country is looking forward to.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will be the BJP candidate in Attingal and the preparations for it have started. Actor Suresh Gopi is using all his might to grab Thrissur, another prestige constituency, in his third fight.

The rehearsals for the campaign are going on now. In Ernakulam, importance is for Anil Antony, A K Antony's son and BJP national secretary. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and party leader Krishna Kumar are being considered in Palakkad. Kummanam Rajasekaran in Pathanamthitta, P K Krishnadas in Kannur and state president K Surendran in Kasargod are also under consideration. BJP national vice president and former MP A P Abdulla Kutty is likely to contest in Malappuram.

Tushar Vellappally again?
The BJP central leadership is also trying to field NDA constituent BDJS president and NDA state convener Tushar Vellappally this time as well.

Tushar, who demanded the Thrissur seat, contested against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad the last time on the demand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In the last NDA National Committee meeting held in Delhi, Modi and Amit Shah had directed Tushar to contest this time as well. It is not clear whether he will contest in Wayanad itself.

Apart from Wayanad, the BDJS had also contested in Alathur, Idukki and Mavelikkara parliamentary seats the last time. The party this time has asked BJP for seven seats. Rubber Board Vice Chairman Unnikrishnan Chalakudy, Spices Board Chairman A G Thankappan, ITDC director board member K Padmakumar are also under consideration as BDJS candidates.