Chathannoor victor B B Gopakumar named leader of BJP legislative party in Kerala

B B Gopakumar, a surprise victor in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, has been chosen as the BJP’s leader of its legislative party in the state Assembly. His appointment, announced on Wednesday ahead of the Assembly session and the Governor’s address, came more than two weeks after results were declared and despite the presence of two senior party figures — Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan, both former Union ministers and current MLAs.

A retired school headmaster who won the LDF bastion of Chathannoor, Gopakumar described his selection as unexpected. “My selection has surprised me. I came to know only when Chandrasekhar, who is also the state president of the party, informed me. I will be the voice of the BJP in Kerala in the Assembly. It is a big honour for me,” he said.

Gopakumar’s rise marks a notable shift for the BJP in Kerala. He joined the party about a decade ago and is a prominent face of the Hindu Ezhava community in his constituency. The BJP’s victory in Chathannoor — held by the CPI since 2006 — was credited to steady groundwork by RSS activists. Gopakumar, who began as a Congress worker, contested Chathannoor in 2016 and 2021, progressively increasing the BJP’s vote share from 24.92% in 2016 to 30.61% in 2021 and 38.54% in 2026, when he defeated CPI’s R. Rajendran.

Party sources said Gopakumar’s elevation reflects the RSS’s growing influence in state affairs and rewards a leader who rose through the ranks. He had also been the BJP’s candidate for Speaker last week. Gopakumar suggested the “Chathannoor model” of grassroots mobilisation could be replicated across Kerala in seats where the BJP has strong stakes in both Assembly and Lok Sabha contests.