Chennai: The BJP has won its first ever parliamentary seat in Kerala, with actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi riding to victory in Thrissur by over 70,000 votes Tuesday. CPI leader and former minister V.S. Sunilkumar stood second while Congress leader K. Muraleedharan stood third.
The central Kerala seat was the focus of the BJP’s push in the state much before the Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Thrissur twice in January 2024, which also included his attendance at the wedding of Gopi’s daughter at Guruvayur temple in the district.
Gopi, who became a nominated Rajya Sabha MP in 2016, was fielded as the party’s candidate for Thrissur in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and in the assembly seat of the same name in the 2021 state polls, coming third both times.
He was, however, able to increase his vote share consistently. In 2019, Gopi secured 28.2 percent of the votes and in 2021 this surged to 31 per cent.
Since 2019, the actor-turned-politician has been a constant presence in Thrissur, intervening in all local matters. Gopi’s image as a philanthropist further seems to have mattered in Kerala, though the National Award-winning actor has also been in the news over a complaint by a woman journalist last year alleging misbehaviour. He was summoned by the police in the case.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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