Many of these charges are linked to the intense protests he organized against the Left government’s decision to enforce the Supreme Court ruling permitting women of all ages to access the renowned Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in 2018.
Despite his party’s limited electoral success in Kerala, where it has been politically active since the Jan Sangh days, Surendran narrowly lost the Manjeshwar Assembly seat by just 89 votes in the 2016 election.
He attempted another run in 2021, only to lose the northernmost Kerala seat by 740 votes. Additionally, he contested the Konni constituency in 2021 but faced defeat there too.
This time, the fiery saffron party leader aims to secure a mandate from Manjeshwar, a border constituency in Kasaragod, and feels optimistic about breaking through.
His main opponent is Congress-led UDF candidate and Indian Union Muslim League leader A K M Ashraf, who triumphed over him in 2021. Ashraf asserted that Surendran’s aspirations will again go unfulfilled.
“We are poised to win 110 percent this time,” a confident Surendran expressed to PTI Videos.
He cited strong discontent towards the state government and the current MLA, claiming they have failed to deliver for the constituency.
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“The ineffective government in Kerala is hindering access to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s welfare schemes for the populace,” the BJP leader contended.
Surendran, who spearheaded the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections that saw actor-turned-BJP leader Suresh Gopi claim the Thrissur parliamentary seat, asserted that neither the LDF nor UDF will achieve an absolute majority.
“The BJP will be the decisive force in Kerala’s future,” Surendran stated.
However, he declined to predict how many seats the NDA might win in the Assembly elections.
Surendran rejected claims that he preferred not to contest in Manjeshwar this time and was instead angling for Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram. “Those were mere media speculations,” he articulated.
The BJP candidate suggested that the development backlog in the constituency will be a pivotal campaign theme.
In response, Ashraf claimed that Surendran should regularly visit the constituency instead of just during election seasons to grasp the improvements made in Manjeshwar.
“If he has the time, I can guide him around to show him,” Ashraf told PTI Videos.
He emphasized that the BJP candidate is just a visitor and is out of touch with the constituency’s realities.
“The contest here is between the BJP and the UDF, and Surendran must recognize that this is not 2016 or 2021, but 2026, where the UDF has advanced significantly,” Ashraf remarked.
He noted the UDF’s remarkable victory in the recent local body elections, now governing eight panchayats within the constituency.
Ashraf claimed that the LDF has minimal presence in the constituency, despite having won Manjeshwar in 2006.
“In 2006, the UDF struggled with various local issues and finished third. However, the landscape has changed drastically since then. Team UDF is well-prepared now,” he added.
The CPI(M) has nominated K R Jayananda, a member of the party’s Kasaragod district secretariat, aiming to replicate their 2006 success.
“I was born and raised here, and I assure you that people have resolved to vote for the development fostered by the LDF government. The situation mirrors that of 2006,” Jayananda stated to PTI Videos.
He characterized Surendran as a “migratory bird” who only appears in the constituency during elections and departs afterwards.
“The one advantage for Surendran in Manjeshwar is that he doesn’t have to create new wall graffiti, as he’s competing here for the third consecutive time,” Jayananda highlighted.
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He reminded that the people of Manjeshwar will not forget the difficulties faced during the Covid crisis, when the then BJP government in Karnataka shut down all 29 border points between Karnataka and Kerala.
“The residents of Manjeshwar have strong ties to Mangaluru in Karnataka, which serves as our primary hub for education and healthcare. Yet, the BJP government closed these borders despite our persistent requests during the Covid period,” Jayananda explained.
He added that even those who once supported the IUML are now turning towards the LDF, feeling disenchanted with the religion-centric politics of both the UDF and BJP.
