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Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a former Union Minister of State and prominent entrepreneur, is set to become the BJP's Kerala state president. With over two decades of political experience and a strong focus on development, he represents the party's new strategy for Kerala.
Thiruvananthapuram: Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who served as Union Minister of State in the second Modi government, is all set to become the new state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala. Backed by two decades of political experience, Rajeev Chandrasekhar is being projected by the party’s national leadership as the face of development politics in Kerala.
His candidacy was recommended during the BJP core committee meeting and an official announcement is likely to be made on Monday (Mar 24). Having served as a Minister of State in the second Modi cabinet and representing Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha for three terms, Rajeev brings with him over twenty years of political experience. The national leadership is positioning him as the symbol of development-driven politics as the party looks to the future.
Known for articulating his vision in a way that appeals to a broad audience, Rajeev Chandrasekhar stands out for his development-centric approach. The party’s central leadership has chosen him, valuing this perspective above all else. Unlike the conventional politician, his style is marked by detailed PowerPoint presentations rather than countering allegations with rhetoric. The BJP’s national leadership has been seeking a Kerala model that resonates with the widespread acceptance Prime Minister Modi's guarantee enjoys across India.
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Rajeev’s candidacy in Thiruvananthapuram during the last Lok Sabha elections was considered the first stage of this experiment. The elections demonstrated that the new generation of voters is rallying behind this new-age politician.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been fortunate to receive opportunities within the BJP to implement his learnings and dreams. His educational background—an engineering degree in electrical engineering and a postgraduate degree in computer science—equipped him well to serve as the Union Minister of State in charge of IT, Electronics, and Skill Development.
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.
In addition to his extensive political experience, Rajeev Chandrasekhar is also a well-known technocrat, entrepreneur, and technology investor. Before entering politics, he made a mark in India’s technology and business sectors. Chandrasekhar began his career as an engineer at Intel in the United States, where he was part of the team that worked on the iconic Pentium microprocessor.
He later returned to India and founded BPL Mobile in 1994, one of India’s early and leading mobile telecom companies. After exiting BPL Mobile, he ventured into investment and entrepreneurship through Jupiter Capital, an investment firm he founded in 2005. Jupiter Capital has investments in sectors like technology, media, hospitality, and infrastructure.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar's transition from a prominent businessman to a politician was swift. He entered the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka in 2006 and was re-elected for three consecutive terms. In 2021, he was appointed Union Minister of State. He also served as the Vice Chairman of Kerala NDA.
He will be the first BJP state president in Kerala without a Sangh Parivar background. The central leadership hopes his appointment will rejuvenate the fractured Kerala BJP, which has long struggled with internal factionalism.
The former Union Minister, who narrowly lost to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor by 16,077 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram, is reportedly determined to contest again and win the seat in the next election. He had given a tough fight in the previous Lok Sabha polls, significantly improving the BJP’s vote share in Kerala.
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