Former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday took charge as the head of the Kerala BJP unit.

Pralhad Joshi, who is in charge of the organizational elections for Kerala, officially announced Rajeev Chandrasekhar as the state president of the BJP at the state council meeting held in the capital city.

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Making the official announcement, he said Chandrasekhar was unanimously elected to the post.

K Surendran, who vacated the post after a tenure of five years, handed over the party flag to Chandraekhar amid loud cheers from the party workers.

On Sunday, Prakash Javedkar, the party’s Kerala-in-charge, announced Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s name at the core committee meeting. He filed his nomination for the president’s post at the BJP’s state headquarters at Mararji Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday afternoon. Rajeev Chandrasekhar was the only candidate for the position.

Speaking at the state council after assuming charge, Rajeev Chandrasekhar expressed his gratitude of being elected as the party’s Kerala chief and said that his goal will be to expand the party’s base in the state, and make it a land of opportunities.

“Party has given me the responsibility of state president. In the name of all party workers ,I am taking this responsibility. Last time when the party asked me to contest from Thiruvananthapuram, it was a surprise and a matter of pride for me,” he said.

“This party has become in this position due to the efforts and dedication of a lot of party workers. From Mararji to K Surendran, all state presidents have contributed to it. We should remember the sacrifice of theirs and their families,” he further said.

“Everyone knows that our youth has talent. Why is Kerala going backwards? The government is getting into a situation where it is running on loans. Why is Kerala going backwards? The government is getting into a situation where it is running on loans. Why are children going out?

“Thousands of job opportunities are being created in Karnataka. Why is this not happening in Kerala? People have lost faith because two parties in Kerala made unfulfilled promises. Kerala should grow, create a better future for children. Enterprises should come. That is the mission of BJP. PM Modi has made India’s economy better, which was in ruins. BJP has transformed it into a new India,” he said

The BJP national leadership is positioning him as the symbol of development-driven politics as the party looks to the future. They have found in him someone who can drive the party to new territories with his potential appeal to sections beyond the party’s core voters.

The decision of the national leaders was also crucial in the situation where it was not possible to reach a single name among the state leaders. His close relationship with the leaders of the Christian church also led to the consideration of Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Prime minister Narendra Modi had included Rajeev Chandrasekhar in his meetings with church leaders held earlier

Known for articulating his vision in a way that appeals to a broad audience, Rajeev Chandrasekhar ‘s politics is different from the conventional one .Unlike the conventional politician, his style is marked by detailed PowerPoint presentations rather than countering allegations with rhetoric.

He was a three-time Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka. Rajiv Chandrasekhar is becoming the state president of the BJP with two decades of political experience. The national leadership is presenting Rajiv Chandrasekhar as the face of developmental politics in these changing times.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar stands out for his development-centric approach. It is being said when Rajeev Chandrasekhar speaks four lines, he speaks of a development concept which will enthuse the people. The party national leadership has chosen Rajeev Chandrasekhar , leaving aside everyone else, based on the value of this vision.

He has been in the Rajya Sabha for three consecutive terms from Karnataka since 2006. He was the Union Minister of State for skill development in IT and electronics in the second Modi ministry . Rajiv Chandrasekhar , who was the Vice Chairman of the Kerala NDA, is the first BJP leader to become the party’s state president without a Sangh Parivar background

The national leadership hopes his appointment will rejuvenate the fractured Kerala BJP, which has long struggled with internal factionalism. In fact, his appointment is being seen as the BJP national leadership and the RSS’ attempt to end the perceived factionalism in the BJP state unit.

He is not aligned with either of the two major factions in the Kerala BJP—one led by former union minister V Muralidharan and outgoing president K Surendran and the other by P K Krishnadas

Born in Ahmedabad in 1964 to Air Force officer M.K. Chandrasekhar and Valli Chandrasekhar, Rajeev initially made his mark in the business world from Bengaluru. Though his professional roots were in Karnataka, his family hails from Kondiur in Palakkad, Kerala, which remains his connection to the state.

During a time when wireless telephony was just a dream, Rajeev launched pagers and then mobile services through BPL in 1994, becoming a key figure in India’s technological revolution. In 2005, he established Jupiter Capital, further expanding his business ventures.

A large section of BJP workers and sympathizers of BJP in Kerala have expressed happiness over the selection of Rajeev Chandrasekhar to lead the party and hoped that he would lead the BJP aggressively in the state, reflecting the sentiments of party workers and sympathizers.

They believe that he would take on the CPI-M and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan more effectively. They also feel that the outgoing leadership was soft towards the CPI-M and Pinarayi Vijayan.

With the new leader in the helm of affairs, there will be a restructuring in the core committee and the state organizational structure. Along with senior leaders, youth will also be part of the organizational restructuring. The first challenge before Rajiv Chandrasekhar is the local body elections to be held later in the year and then the assembly elections to be held in April-May 2026.