Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP Kerala state president K Surendran, who is among the four candidates the party announced on Sunday for Lok Sabah polls in Kerala, will take on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.
The BJP-led NDA previously announced 16 other candidates in the state with 20 LS seats, The Indian Express reported.
Wayanad has gained national attention with Rahul Gandhi currently representing the constituency after a massive victory in the last poll.
Setting the stage for what can be called three-ponged contest, CPI national leader Annie Raja is the LDF candidate for the constituency, making it all the more important nationally.
Surendran will entry the fray with the experience of having contested three Lok Sabha polls since 2009, and previously four Assembly elections as well.
In 2021, he tried luck in Konni and Manjeshwar simultaneously but lost Manjeshwar by whisker of just 86 votes in 2016.
Dr K S Radhakrishan, former chairman of the state public service commission and vice chancellor of the Sanskrit university, is the BJP candidate in Ernakulam.
Actor G Krishnakumar, a member of the BJP national council, is BJP candidate in Kollam.
Former college principal Dr T N Sarasu is the BJP candidate for Alathur (SC) seat.
Sarasu gained media attention in 2016 after left leaning students outfit SFI made symbolic grave at the campus when she was the principal of the Government Victoria College Palakkad.
The incident took place on the occasion of her retirement.