Kannur (Kerala) [India], March 23 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate K Ranjith on Monday filed his nomination from the Dharmadam constituency in Kannur district for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.

The nomination papers were submitted before District Registrar Sachin Krishnan at the Thalassery Registrar's Office, marking the formal entry of the BJP-led NDA into a key electoral contest.

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Dharmadam holds political significance as it is currently represented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, making the constituency one of the most closely watched electoral battlegrounds in the state.

In a parallel development, the BJP has fielded Adv S Smitha from the Varkala constituency. A former CPM area committee member, Smitha, recently resigned from the party before joining the BJP, which has taken over the seat from its ally BDJS. Her candidature is being seen as part of the BJP's strategy to attract leaders from rival camps.

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The BJP has also expanded its candidate list, announcing multiple names across constituencies. Notable candidates include Rajeev Chandrasekhar from Nemom and V Muraleedharan from Kazhakoottam, along with former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan from Aranmula.

The 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, as announced by the Election Commission of India, with counting scheduled for May 4. The tenure of the current 140-member Assembly, also known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, ends on May 23.

Both the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led UDF are seeking to unseat the incumbent CPI(M)-led LDF government, which has been in power for nearly a decade, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral contest.

The 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, the Election Commission of India announced on March 15, with the counting of votes scheduled to take place on May 4. The tenure of the current assembly is scheduled to end on May 23.

The Model Code of Conduct comes into place, setting in process elections to the 140-member State Assembly, which is also known as the Kerala Niyamasabha. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)