BJP Candidates in Kerala Elections: A Battle with Legal Shadows

BJP candidates in the Kerala Assembly elections face an array of criminal cases, mainly due to leading protests. K Surendran has 242 cases, George Kurian one, V Muraleedharan eight, Sobha Surendran 35, and R Sreelekha one. All declare substantial assets in their affidavits accompanying nominations.

BJP leader K Surendran, vying for the Manjeshwar seat in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, is under the spotlight with 242 criminal cases. These cases, as per his nomination affidavit, predominantly stem from his involvement in protests. He reported assets exceeding Rs 28 lakh and liabilities exceeding Rs nine lakh.

Meanwhile, George Kurian, contesting from Kanjirappally, encounters a single legal case related to a 2014 protest in Thiruvananthapuram. Kurian's affidavit reveals assets valued over Rs 1.74 crore and liabilities nearing Rs two lakhs. V Muraleedharan, contesting from Kazhakootam, faces eight similar cases and claims movable assets over Rs 20 lakh, with no immovable properties.

Sobha Surendran, contesting from Palakkad, contends with 35 cases chiefly from protest involvement, disclosing assets worth over Rs 1.94 crore. Ex-DGP R Sreelekha, standing in Vattiyoorkavu, declared over Rs five crore in assets, facing a current accusation related to POCSO case victim identity disclosure, which she is challenging in court.