Kerala faces election petitions for seven MLAs as BJP launches Mission 2029

Seven newly elected members of the Kerala Legislative Assembly have had their victories challenged in the Kerala High Court on grounds ranging from corrupt electoral practices to violations of the Representation of the People Act. The petitions target leaders from the BJP, CPI‑M, Congress and an independent backed by the UDF, including BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Nemom), BJP’s V. Muraleedharan (Kazhakkoottam), CPI‑M MLAs C. Ravindranath and N. K. Akbar, Congress MLAs Rajan J. Pallan and Reji Cheriyan, and independent V. Kunhikrishnan. Procedural defects were noted, and the court has given petitioners time to correct them; hearings are scheduled for early and mid‑August.

At the same time, the BJP has begun a long‑term electoral drive in Kerala called “Mission 2029,” aimed at preparing for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Party president Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced the assignment of senior leaders to key parliamentary constituencies and the appointment of in‑charges for all 120 assembly segments. The party also plans to increase its organisational regions from five to six to strengthen grassroots networks and ensure continuity between parliamentary and assembly elections.