No mistake on third attempt; BJP's secret trump card from Chathannur delivers

KOLLAM: The victory of NDA candidate BB Gopakumar in Chathannur sent ripples through both UDF and the LDF camps in the state. BB Gopakumar was sure not to miss his target this time in Chathannur. In 2021, he had lost by 17206 votes, but this time, Gopakumar made it comfortable by taking a majority of 4398 votes. His gentle demeanour, leadership skills, and extensive following led to great acceptance among people.

In the 2011 assembly elections, BJP had only 3839 votes in Chathannur. B.B. Gopakumar, who first entered the fray as a candidate in 2016, increased the NDA votes to 33139, pushing the UDF to third place. In 2021, he contested again and increased his votes to 42090 and retained the second position. In 2026, the fact that the UDF and LDF candidates were outsiders and Gopakumar's personal connections in the constituency led to victory. All three candidates were members of the Ezhava community. The lotus bloomed after Gopakumar survived personal assassinations carried out by the Left and Right Fronts during the campaign.

Gopakumar was the BJP Kollam district president for six years. He has been the SNDP Yogam Chathannur Union president for 25 years. He is now the BJP South Zone president. A former Congress worker, Gopakumar, was a Chathannur Panchayat member. A teacher by profession for the last three decades, Gopakumar retired as the headmaster of Chathannur SN Trust Central School. While the NDA vote increased in Chathannur, the LDF vote decreased. The UDF could not make any significant progress.