Thiruvananthapuram, May 4 (IANS) In a result of considerable political significance, the BJP has secured a second seat in Kerala, with Rajeev Chandrasekhar winning from Nemom and reinforcing the party’s incremental but notable gains in the state.

The victory follows B.B. Gopakumar’s earlier win in Chathanoor, marking a rare moment of expansion for the BJP in Kerala’s traditionally bipolar political landscape.

Chandrasekhar’s triumph in Nemom is being viewed as historic, restoring the constituency to the BJP fold after a gap.

The seat had first delivered a breakthrough in 2016 when veteran leader and former Union Minister O. Rajagopal scripted the party’s maiden Assembly win in the state.

However, the BJP lost Nemom in 2021 to CPI(M) leader and current State Education Minister V. Sivankutty, making the latest result a significant reversal.

Addressing the media at the BJP state headquarters, Chandrasekhar said the outcome defied predictions by both the CPI(M) and the Congress, which had maintained that the BJP would fail to open its account.

“People of Nemom and Chathanoor have given us the mandate. This election was always going to be an anti-CPI(M) verdict,” he said, adding that issues such as the Sabarimala controversy played a role in shaping voter sentiment.

He also termed the result a rejection of the Opposition INDIA bloc.

The twin victories are likely to energise the BJP’s cadre in Kerala, where the party has often come close but struggled to translate vote share into seats.

The results suggest a consolidation of support in select constituencies, particularly in urban and semi-urban pockets.

Meanwhile, attention remains on Kazhakootam, where BJP leader and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan is locked in a tight contest, trailing by a narrow margin of 299 votes as counting enters its final round.

While the BJP’s overall footprint remains limited, the wins in Nemom and Chathanoor signal a shift in its electoral trajectory, offering the party a stronger platform to build on in future contests.

–IANS

sg/rad