BJP Member to Contest as Independent After Being Denied Seat in Kollam

A long-serving member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kollam district, Vasantha Balachandran, has announced her decision to contest as an independent candidate. This move comes in protest against the party denying her a seat, despite her consistently winning elections on the BJP’s lotus symbol for the past quarter-century.

Vasantha Balachandran, 57, who has represented the Perayam ward in the Thrikkovilvattom Grama Panchayat from 2000 to 2025, expressed deep disappointment with the party’s leadership. She stated that she was overlooked by the party’s lower echelons, leading to her decision to leave the BJP.

Her main grievance stems from the party’s choice to nominate a candidate, Bhaskaran Unni, who reportedly joined the BJP from the CPM just two days prior. Vasantha questioned the party’s rationale, asking how someone who has dedicated years to the BJP could be disregarded in favor of a recent defector. She highlighted that she was not even informed about the leadership’s decision to sideline her.

Despite receiving invitations from both the Communist and Congress parties, Vasantha has firmly stated her intention not to join them. Instead, she has filed her nomination as an independent candidate for the ward she has diligently served and worked for over the years. Her decision underscores growing discontent among long-term party workers over candidate selection processes.

This incident in Kollam mirrors similar sentiments of political frustration seen recently, including a report from Alappuzha where a Congress booth president allegedly attempted to end his life after being denied a seat in local body elections. Vasantha Balachandran’s independent candidacy is expected to significantly impact the local political dynamics in Thrikkovilvattom Grama Panchayat.