Sandeep Varier
Indian politician from Kerala
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Sandeep Varier (Malayalam: സന്ദീപ് വാര്യർ) (born c. 1982) is an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress and serves as one of the KPCC General Secretaries. He currently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing the Thrikaripur constituency in the Kasaragod district in the 16th Niyamasabha.[1]
Sandeep Varier | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2026 | |
| Preceded by | M. Rajagopalan |
| Constituency | Thrikaripur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1982 (age 43–44) |
| Party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Sheeja Sandeep |
| Children | 1 |
| Occupation | Politician, Social Activist |
Political career
Sandeep Varier began his political career with the Students Federation of India (SFI), in the early 2000s due to the development promises made by L.K Advani he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a youth leader where he served as a State Spokesperson and was a prominent face in television debates. In late 2024, Varier resigned from the BJP and joined the Indian National Congress, citing ideological differences with the state leadership. Soon after he was made a Spokesperson for the KPCC and currently serves as one of the General Secretaries of the KPCC. He became a prominent and popular leader within the INC.
2021 Assembly Election
While he was still a member of the BJP, the party fielded him in the Shornur Constituency. He notably finished 3rd Increasing the vote margin from the previous attempts and only behind a few hundred votes of the INC candidate.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPI(M) | P. Mammikutty | 74,400 | 48.98 |  2.27 | |
| INC | T. H. Firoz Babu | 37,726 | 24.83 |  4.55 | |
| BJP | Sandeep Varier | 36,973 | 24.34 | − | |
| SDPI | Muhammad Musthafa | 1,251 | 0.82 | 0.06 | |
| BSP | T. C. Ayyappankutty | 883 | 0.58 | 0.04 | |
| NOTA | None of the above | 678 | 0.45 | − | |
| Margin of victory | 36,674 | 24.15 | 6.82 | ||
| Turnout | 1,51,911 | 78.31 | 1.68 | ||
| CPI(M) hold | Swing | 2.27 |
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2026 Assembly Election
In the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, the UDF fielded Varier from the Thrikaripur seat. Varier secured a historic victory, defeating his nearest rival, Dr. V. P. P. Mustafa of the CPI(M), by a margin of 4,431 votes.[3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INC | Sandeep Varier | 83,109 | 48.63 | 11.22 | |
| CPI(M) | V. P. P. Mustafa | 78,678 | 46.04 | 7.67 | |
| TTP | Ravi Kulangara | 7,837 | 4.59 | 2.24 | |
| NOTA | None of the above | 710 | 0.42 | − | |
| Independent | Sandeep Elatt | 258 | − | ||
| Independent | Musthafa P. P. | 169 | − | ||
| Independent | Musthafa V. P. | 143 | − | ||
| Margin of victory | 4,431 | 2.59 | |||
| Turnout | 1,70,904 | 79.64 | |||
| INC gain from CPI(M) | Swing | 11.22 |
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Personal life
Varier is a resident of Palakkad but moved his political base to North Malabar following his candidacy in Thrikaripur. According to his electoral affidavit, he is involved in agriculture and social work.[5]