Thomas likely BJP pick in Thrissur or Irinjalakuda for the Kerala polls | India News

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP is likely to field former DGP Jacob Thomas from Thrissur or Irinjalakuda assembly seats in the upcoming assembly elections. Thomas’ candidature is said to be more aligned with the interests of the RSS than the state BJP leadership.Thomas declared support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and joined the BJP in 2021. He got membership of the party from the then national president of the party JP Nadda. On several occasions, the central leadership relied on his independent assessment of political developments and organizational matters related to the Kerala unit of the BJP. However, the BJP state leadership has failed to harness its full potential, which has alienated it somewhat from BJP activities in the state. Since then he became more and more attracted to the RSS and its ideology.He made headlines in October 2025 when he attended an RSS padakarana in Kochi in traditional RSS attire. To questions, Thomas has always said that RSS has no caste or religion, adding that the organization works for the welfare of society.According to BJP sources, fielding Thomas in Thrissur or Irinjalkuda will give members of the Christian community a legitimate reason to vote for the BJP candidate. They believe that his public image as an anti-corruption campaigner will make him a desirable candidate for all sections of society. Supporters within the party have also pointed to his previous tussle with the LDF government and factors in the raw deals made with him by the political establishment could work in his favor as a candidate.At the same time, a section of BJP’s state unit leaders are doubting Thomas’ chances in both the seats. According to them, Union Minister Suresh Gopi was a huge disappointment as MP from Thrissur and it may be difficult for Thomas or any other BJP candidate to overcome that disappointment factor. BJP’s weak organizational setup in Thrissur has also been cited as a concern.They also fear that the UDF’s better ties with Christian churches may work against the BJP as well. Still, there is a fighting chance for the BJP candidate, they noted. Gopi won the Thrissur assembly seat by securing 40,457 votes in the last assembly elections, though he finished third. CPI’s P Balachandran’s margin of victory was around 3%. With the BJP’s vote share increasing in the next Lok Sabha elections, Thomas has a chance to win, according to those who support his candidature in Thrissur.