BJP to Nominate Candidate for Kerala Assembly Speaker Position

In a historic move, the BJP has nominated B.B. Gopakumar for the Speaker position in the Kerala Assembly, following their first-time win of three seats. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the state party president, highlighted this significant development, emphasizing the party's commitment to providing a genuine opposition in the assembly. With the Speaker election approaching, the political landscape in Kerala is set for a notable shift as the BJP aims to challenge the established parties. This article delves into the implications of this nomination and the BJP's strategy moving forward.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 21, 2026, 13:43 IST

BJP's Historic Move in Kerala Assembly

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to nominate a candidate for the Speaker position in the Kerala Assembly, marking a significant milestone as they have won three seats for the first time. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the state party president, announced this decision on Thursday during a press briefing. He revealed that the newly elected MLA B.B. Gopakumar from the Chathanoor constituency in Kollam district will be the party's candidate for the Speaker role. The election for the Speaker is scheduled for Friday.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has put forward senior leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as their candidate, while the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) has yet to announce their nominee.

BJP's Legislative Representation

Currently, the BJP has three legislators in the state assembly: Gopakumar, V. Muraleedharan, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar himself. Chandrasekhar emphasized that this is the first time in Kerala's political history that the BJP will field a candidate for the Speaker position. He mentioned that both he and Muraleedharan will propose Gopakumar's name for the nomination.

Chandrasekhar has frequently accused the LDF, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the UDF of engaging in collusive politics in Kerala.

A New Era for Opposition

He asserted that until now, there has been no genuine opposition member in the state assembly. As they prepared to take their oaths as legislators, he stated that the three of them are committed to changing this narrative and will begin their work immediately. Prior to the oath-taking ceremony, the BJP's three MLAs paid tribute at the Palayam Martyrs' Memorial.