Putting an end to all the speculation, the BJP has announced that one of its general secretaries, K Surendran, will be the candidate for the crucial Pathanamthitta constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in April.

Pathanamthitta is the place from where the BJP had led various protests against the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple.

K Surendran, was one of the leaders who had spearheaded various protests against the September 2018 Supreme Court verdict. This had led to clashes with the police which even lead to his arrest.

Speaking to Asianet News after bagging a ticket to contest for the elections, Surendran said that Pathanamthitta is a parliamentary constituency which has gained attention across the country, especially because of the events that took place during the last six months (referring to the Sabarimala protests).

“By allowing me to contest from this constituency, the party has given me a huge responsibility and we hope to get the full support from the people of Pathanamthitta,” said Surendran.

Surendran went on to say that the people of Pathanamthitta had to go through a lot of difficulties recently. “They had to face difficulties in the form of floods and in the form of protecting their beliefs and we will move forward with our campaign, keeping in mind the sentiments of the people of Pathanamthitta,” said Surendran. The BJP is hopeful that the Hindu population in the district would vote for the BJP that has fought for the 'temple's tradition'.

Several BJP leaders in the state were eyeing to contest from the Pathanamthitta seat including State President Sreedharan Pillai and Union Minister of state Alphonse Kannanthanam, who is now contesting from the Ernakulam constituency. When the Sabarimala protest was at its peak, Sreedharan Pillai had even said that it was a golden opportunity for the BJP.