வி. முரளிதரன்

Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan is contesting from Kazhakkoottam, an urban constituency in Thiruvananthapuram with a significant IT corridor presence. He is seeking a comeback in a seat he had earlier contested in 2016.

Muraleedharan had lost that election to CPI(M) leader Kadakampally Surendran by 7,347 votes, polling 42,732 votes (32.1%). This time, he returns better prepared, having maintained a steady presence in the constituency even before the Assembly poll dates were announced. His renewed focus on Kazhakkoottam follows a strong showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Attingal, where he put up a tough fight.

The constituency has emerged as a key battleground for the BJP in Kerala. In the 2024 parliamentary polls, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar secured over 40% of the vote in this Assembly segment, making it one of the party’s strongest pockets in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency. In 2021, NDA candidate Sobha Surendran had also finished second here with just over 40% vote share, indicating a steady consolidation of the BJP’s base.

Despite these gains, Muraleedharan faces a formidable challenge in unseating Kadakampally Surendran, a three-time MLA from Kazhakkoottam who won the seat in 1996, 2016 and 2021.

With the BJP sensing an opportunity in Kazhakkoottam’s shifting electoral dynamics, Muraleedharan’s candidature sets the stage for a high-stakes contest against a well-entrenched CPI(M) leader in one of Kerala’s most closely watched constituencies.

Candidate Info: V. Muraleedharan is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate contesting from Kazhakkoottam (General) Assembly constituency for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. This male candidate is 67 years of age, according to the election affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India.