Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP, which won three seats in the Kerala Assembly for the first time, will field its candidate in the Speaker election, state party president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday.
The party has decided to field BB Gopakumar, newly elected MLA from Chathannoor seat in Kollam district, for the post, he told reporters here.
Elections for the post of speaker will be held on Friday (May 22). While the Congress-led UDF has announced veteran leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the post, the opposition LDF has not announced its candidate so far.
The three BJP MLAs in the State Assembly are Gopakumar, V Muraleedharan and Chandrasekhar himself.
“For the first time in the history of Kerala politics, there will be a BJP candidate in the election for this post. Gopakumar will be the BJP candidate. His name will be proposed by me and Muraleedharan,” said Chandrasekhar.
Chandrasekhar, who has often accused the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF of practicing politicking in Kerala, claimed that there were no opposition MLAs in the State Assembly so far.
“To change all this, we three deputies are taking the oath today. We are starting our work from today,” he said, as he went to the State Assembly to take the oath as a deputy.
Before taking oath as members of the Legislative Assembly, nominated BJP MLAs paid floral tributes at the Palayam Martyrs Memorial here.
