The BJP on Tuesday, inched closer to realising its dream of getting an elected MP from Kerala, with actor-politician Suresh Gopi, ensuring a virtually unassailable lead of over 74,000 votes, in the Thrissur parliamentary segment.
- Get real-time Lok Sabha election updates on businessline’s election results page.
Gopi’s win would put an end to the over seven decades-long political drought in Kerala for the BJP.
The Election Commission is yet to announce the results officially but as per its latest update, Gopi is leading by a huge margin of 74,686 votes against his nearest rival and Left candidate., V S Sunilkumar.
The trend comes as a rude shock for the ruling CPI (M)-led LDF, and the Congress-headed UDF, which even rubbished till the last minute, the various exit polls that predicted a Gopi show, and the chances of lotus blooming in the southern state.
The political rivals asserted that the fight would be between their candidates V S Sunilkumar (CPI-M), and K Muraleedharan (Congress).
The counting of postal votes even gave the impression that their calculations might go right, as Sunilkumar initially enjoyed an upper hand.
However, Gopi came to the picture in the subsequent rounds, increased his lead consistently, and then there was no looking back.
With a strong lead, Suresh Gopi, seems to have proved wrong, the long-drawn claims of the traditional fronts that Kerala would remain elusive for the saffron party as always.
The national award-winning actor, had earlier tried his luck in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and the 2021 assembly election from the same central Kerala constituency, but the voters gave him the thumbs down.
However, Gopi, who was reluctant to backtrack from politics, consistently concentrated in Thrissur, and spent the lion’s share of his fund as Rajya Sabha MP here in these years, eying the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
A staunch loyalist of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gopi had to face not only the criticism of political rivals, but also harsh and sarcastic trolls throughout his political journey so far.
His mass dialogue, “Thrissur njaningedukkuva” (I am taking Thrissur), made during the time of the previous election, was widely discussed in political circles of the state, but largely used by the opponents for making fun of him after his drubbing.
A recent harassment case, filed by a woman journalist, was also a challenge during his political career.
The actor, and his family’s offering, of a golden crown to a cathedral in the constituency also triggered a row.
However, the BJP national leadership especially PM Modi, backed Gopi to the hilt, and gave him a party ticket to contest from Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, yet again.
Modi attended the marriage ceremony of Gopi’s elder daughter, at the famed Guruvayoor Sri Krishna temple here in January this year, giving clear indication that they had complete faith that he could be their key to step foot into Kerala.
Thrissur’s total voters are a little over 14.83 lakh. According to the latest updates, 10,81,125 votes were polled.
While talking to reporters from his home in Thiruvananthapuram, Gopi expressed gratitude to the people of Thrissur, and the Gods for his historic victory.
- Also read:Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 Live Updates: NDA leads in majority seats, BJP unlikely to cross the halfway mark
He said, he had to undergo several “struggles”, and “swam against the flow” to attain the victory.
Calling the people of the constituency as “praja daivangal”, he described Modi as his “political god.”
