Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 20 (TIWN) Malayalam movie star and Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi, will in all likelihood contest the upcoming assembly election from the Nemom assembly seat in the state capital district as a BJP candidate, said a top party source.

The Kerala Assembly polls are likely to be held in May next year and the state BJP unit has started to zero in on its candidates in certain crucial seats.  In 2016, BJP candidate and former Union Minister O. Rajagopal created history by winning the first ever assembly seat for the BJP, which until then had drawn a blank in the 140 member Kerala Legislative Assembly.  He defeated sitting CPI-M legislator V. Sivankutty by over 8000 votes and pushed the Congress led UDF candidate to a poor third place in the Nemom constituency.  "Rajagopal, who has had a long innings in politics is now 91 years old. So, the party's state unit doesn't wish to take any chances. We have zeroed in on Gopi, who is presently a hugely popular figure cutting across the political spectrum," said a BJP source on condition of anonymity.