Malayalam actor Unni Mukundan is being projected as a potential Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Palakkad. Party sources said a recent survey conducted by a professional agency to assess the BJP’s electoral prospects and candidate options across constituencies identified Mr. Mukundan as having a stronger winning potential in Palakkad than any other party leader.
However, the BJP leadership is yet to secure Mr. Mukundan’s consent. There are also differing views within the party on fielding a high-profile outsider, a move that could dampen the aspirations of local leaders in Palakkad. Despite the internal debate, winning the Palakkad Assembly constituency remains a key objective of the BJP.
The BJP had come close to winning Palakkad in the 2021 Assembly elections when veteran technocrat E. Sreedharan contested against Congress’s Shafi Parambil. Mr. Sreedharan narrowly lost by a margin of 3,859 votes. According to the BJP, it was the party’s closest-ever opportunity to capture Palakkad, which comprises Palakkad municipality and the panchayats of Kannadi, Pirayiri and Mathur.
The name of BJP’s former State president K. Surendran is also doing the rounds as a potential candidate capable of springing a surprise in Palakkad. The professional agency that assessed the party’s electoral prospects has reportedly accorded significant weight to Mr. Surendran’s candidature.
