Mahila Morcha leader Navya Haridas to contest as BJP candidate at Wayanad, Krishnakumar at Palakkad

Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP has decided to field Mahila Morcha leader Navya Haridas for the by-poll at Wayanad Lok Sabha seat where Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is in the fray.

Haridas, who is general secretary of Mahila Morcha in Kerala, had contested in Kozhikode south constituency in the 2021 Assembly election, but came third.

In the last Lok Sabha election BJP state president K Surendran had contested against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Wayanad and came third.

Meanwhile, the BJP also decided to field party state general secretary C Krishnaumar at Palakkad assembly seat where the party is pinning high hopes as they came second in the last two assembly elections.

Krishnakumar, who is a top leader from the district, had contested in the last two assembly elections at adjacent Malampuzha seat and came second.

BJP state vice president Shobha Surendran, who came second in Palakkad in 2016 assembly polls, was also reportedly pushing for the seat. 'Metro man' E Sreedhran contested as BJP candidate in 2021 and lost by just 3,859 votes to Congress's Shafi Parambil.

"With the unwavering support of the people, the lotus will bloom in Palakkad this time," Surendran said in a social media post announcing the candidates.

BJP also decided to field local leader K Balakrishnan at Chelakkara assembly seat in Thrissur.