‘Backed Suresh Gopi, but not Padmaja? Falters in Thrissur

THRISSUR: Riding on the confidence gained from Suresh Gopi giving Thrissur to the NDA in the Lok Sabha elections, Padmaja Venugopal contested the assembly polls with high expectations. However, she is facing a major setback in the Thrissur constituency. UDF candidate Rajan Pallan is presently leading by around 1,500 votes, while LDF’s Alankode Leelakrishnan is in second place.

Thrissur has traditionally played a crucial role in UDF’s success in Kerala. However, the political landscape shifted after K Karunakaran parted ways with the party. Now, as counting progresses, UDF is leading in four constituencies in the district, raising hopes of reclaiming its lost ground.

For Padmaja Venugopal, who moved from Congress to the BJP, the situation appears challenging. Despite an aggressive campaign inspired by Suresh Gopi’s earlier success--where the Left was pushed to third place in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in this segment-- the key question remains whether she can replicate that path.