Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from Kerala, including former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, have been sharing posts about a party candidate in the upcoming local body elections.
The posts are about Shruti M, a 24-year-old woman with a modest background who is using multiple jobs to make ends meet, yet contesting elections — offering a slice of grassroots reality in local-body polls, according to BJP leaders.
Shruti is among the youngest candidates running for the Kannur Corporation elections, representing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from the South Bazaar seat in the local body polls in Kerala.
“This single picture tells a million stories of Malayalee youth. Meet M Sruthi, BJP candidate from South Bazar Division 47, Kannur. She works during the day and joins our karyakartas for campaigning in the evening with sincerity, hard work, and zero entitlement,” Chandrasekhar, who is also the BJP’s Kerala president, said in a post on X on 1 December.
Kerala local body elections 2025 will be held in two phases on 9 and 11 December. Counting will be held on 13 December. Elections are to be held in 1199 of the total 1200 local bodies in Kerala.
Shurti is a candidate in a high-stakes triangular race in the South Bazaar division, and hasn’t let go of her daily hustle, which may resonate with many voters who see her as one of them, according to a report in Janmabhumi.
Who is Shruti M?
Shruti, who had been working as a temporary employee at the Kannur District Hospital after completing her Ayurveda course, joined a home-delivery job a year ago. In the evenings, she also helps her father, Sajendran and mother, Shanthi, at the thattukada (street-food stall) they run at Payyambalam Beach, according to the Janmabhumi report.
“No dynasty. No lobbying. No godfathers. Only hard work, grit, and a genuine desire to serve. The BJP is the only party where leaders rise from the grassroots,” the BJP said on its X handle, sharing a picture of Shruti on a two-wheeler along with her election poster in Malayalam language.
Even after becoming the BJP candidate for the Corporation elections, Shruti has not given up her work. After finishing her home-delivery duties early in the morning, she steps out for campaigning. South Bazaar is a division where a strong triangular contest is underway, according to media reports.
“And remember she is contesting in Kannur, where Pinarayi Vijayan’s CPM won 14 wards unopposed through fear and intimidation. Those days are over. BJP/NDA is empowering young Malayalees and women to write their own stories and not be controlled by the corrupt politics of the INDI alliance of CPM/Congress,” Chandrasekhar said in the post.
The BJP nurtures real talent from among the people, by the people, and for the people.
BJP leader and former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar also shared the post about Shruthi.
“The BJP nurtures real talent from among the people, by the people, and for the people. This is the strength of true democracy. This is New India’s politics, driven by merit, not inheritance,” read the post shared on Tuesday, 2 December.
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