The drama of internal disagreements? Put it to rest! On Monday evening, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) proudly announced its candidates for Palakkad Municipality. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eager to grab a third straight term in this key local battle. Here's the scoop: NDA named contestants for 46 out of 53 municipal wards. What about those remaining seven? Well, BJP is holding them back to smooth over some party disputes — a smart move to keep the peace. Expect familiar faces and fresh energy! The candidate list includes sitting councillors and former ones, showing a wide mix from across society—professionals, teachers, traders, researchers, and well-known locals all ready to fight for your vote. Big names stepping up are sure to grab attention, like State treasurer and outgoing municipal vice chairman E. Krishnadas; BJP east district general secretary and outgoing standing committee chairman P. Smithesh; district vice presidents C. Madhu and G. Prabhakaran; plus leaders Mini Krishnakumar, T.S. Meenakshi, T. Baby, and more. Not to forget Mahila Morcha State vice-president Sindhu Rajan and SC Morcha district general secretary Krishna Prasad, among others. The announcement event was a star-studded gathering with BJP east district president Prasant Sivan leading the show. Important party figures like State vice presidents V. Unnikrishnan and C. Krishnakumar, veteran leader N. Sivarajan, BDJS district president K. Raghu, and P. Smithesh stirred up excitement with their speeches. Rewind to the 2020 municipal elections: the BJP swept 28 of 52 seats, comfortably ruling the Palakkad municipality. Back in 2015, their first victory in Kerala history, BJP became the single-largest party with 23 seats — enough to control the municipality despite lacking a majority due to opposition splits. Now, the stakes are even higher! According to party insiders, BJP is confident about sealing a third term. Although internal rivalries still bubble, the party expects to win 18 to 20 seats in certain key areas. The battle is tight around eight to 10 wards, which may tip the scales for who controls Palakkad. One senior party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "Even if we manage to win just half of the dozen or so closely contested wards, we will still be able to hold on to power for a third consecutive term." So, get ready! Palakkad voters are gearing up for an exciting poll season where BJP wants to keep their winning streak alive and kicking.