BJP president Amit Shah on Monday announced that Thushar Vellappally of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a BJP ally in Kerala, will be the NDA’s candidate against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.
Thushar was the candidate for the party in Thrissur, but the NDA decided to pit him against Rahul to give the Congress chief a tough fight.
“I proudly announce Shri Thushar Vellappally, president of BDJS, as NDA candidate from Wayanad. A vibrant and dynamic youth leader, he represents our commitment to development and social justice. With him, the NDA will emerge as Kerala’s political alternative,” Shah tweeted.
Thushar is the son of Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of the influential Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, which works for the welfare of Ezhava community, a backward caste with sizeable population in the State.