At 66 years old, Padmaja Venugopal is gearing up for her fourth electoral contest, this time as a BJP candidate after three rounds with the Congress. She comes from a political lineage, being the daughter of the late K. Karunakaran, a prominent four-time Chief Minister of Kerala.
Having previously contested from the Congress stronghold of Mukundapuram in 2004 and later from the Thrissur Assembly constituency in 2016 and 2021, Padmaja faced defeat each time, with her last loss in 2021 being by a narrow margin of just 946 votes. Despite these setbacks, she has now switched her political allegiance to the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Padmaja’s move to the BJP comes after citing dissatisfaction with the Congress, alleging mistreatment and lack of recognition within the party. With actor and BJP leader Suresh Gopi’s support, who won the Lok Sabha seat from Thrissur in 2024, Padmaja’s candidacy for the upcoming election in Thrissur is gaining momentum.
Reacting to the changing political landscape, Padmaja expressed her loyalty to the BJP and readiness to follow the party leadership’s directives for her campaign and candidature. This election is seen as a crucial opportunity for Padmaja to redeem herself politically, now with a new party, different alliances, and a constituency that has narrowly eluded her grasp in the past.
