K. Surendran, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala, has lost the Manjeshwar seat in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. A.K.M. Ashraf of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) won the seat by a significant margin of 31,193 votes.
Surendran, who was the BJP's state president from 2020 to 2023, has been a key figure in strengthening the party's organisational base in Kerala, a state traditionally dominated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Despite repeated electoral defeats, Surendran has maintained his position as a central figure in the BJP's political strategy in Kerala, thanks to his consistent presence in key contests and organisational leadership.
