 "BJP candidate from Thrissur constituency Suresh Gopi celebrates as he leads in the Lok Sabha elections on the day of counting of votes, in Thiruvananthapuram, Tuesday, 4 June 2024. PTI")
A lotus has finally bloomed in Kerala.
The BJP opened its Lok Sabha account in the southern state for the first time, ending a lengthy wait of several decades.
This time, Suresh Gopi of the saffron party led his election campaign with the slogan, “Thrissur njan edukkuva (I am taking Thrissur), Enikku venom Thrissur (I want Thrissur).”
It seems to have done the magic, as the actor-politician has secured a comfy lead in Thrissur.
According to the Election Commission of India website, he registered the historic win after defeating senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan and former minister VS Sunil Kumar of the Communist Party of India (CPI) by 73,573 votes.
Here’s all we know about Suresh Gopi.
Suresh Gopi – the BJP’s beacon of light
Gopi, a BJP candidate for Kerala’s Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections, was born in Alappuzha, according to Times Now.
The 65-year-old finished his primary education in Kollam and pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and a Master of Arts in English literature.
He made his acting debut as a child In 1965 with Odayil Ninnu.
He made appearances in well-known films, including Manichithrathazhu, A Northern Story of Valor, and Oru CBI Diary Kurippu.
Throughout his career, he has acted in roughly 250 films, most of them Malayalam.
According to the Indian Express, Gopi was nominated in September 2023 to serve as the president and the chairperson of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute’s (SRFTI) governing council.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA month later, he was booked for sexual harassment after a female journalist accused him of touching her shoulder during a Kozhikode media interview.
There are four criminal cases registered against him.
Since joining the BJP in October 2016, Gopi has been one of the prominent campaigners for the party in Kerala, drawing sizable audiences.
He had already lost two elections from this central Kerala constituency: the first from Thrissur in the 2021 state assembly polls and the second in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
As per his election affidavit, he has disclosed a total of Rs 18.6 crore in assets, of which Rs 8.9 crore are movable and Rs 9.7 crore are immovable, as per Times Now.
Of his entire disclosed income of Rs 4.6 crore, Rs 4.4 crore is self-income.
Gopi owes Rs 1.3 crore in total debt.
Check the 2024 Lok Sabha election results live updates here.
Breaking the jinx
The recent victory is significant since in Kerala’s 68-year political history, the BJP has never won a Lok Sabha seat, except for 2016, when O Rajagopal of the party won the Nemom Assembly segment in Thiruvananthapuram, as per The Quint. The seat was lost in 2021.
With Gopi breaking the spell, the state’s election politics will witness a significant historical turning point with far-reaching implications for all political parties in the state.
Reacting to his impending victory in Thrissur, Gopi told the media, “People gave me Thrissur. I have placed it in my heart. My performance as an MP will not be limited to the manifesto. I would work from the entire Kerala. I have a module for development which will be implemented. At the same time, I will continue as a film artist, which is my passion.”
Kerala’s opposition to the BJP has proven to be very confusing for the party throughout the years, considering the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has over 5,000 shakhas and has been active in the state since the 1940s, as per The Quint.
The UDF and the LDF, two powerful political fronts ingrained in Keralan politics, may be the reason behind the BJP’s failed attempts.
Along with the lack of Hindu vote consolidation, Kerala’s substantial Christian and Muslim populations have also posed a challenge for the saffron party.
Hard work finally pays off
The BJP has long been seen as a party dependent on the big and poor northern states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, but it is now making inroads in the more industrialised south.
This is all thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hard work and Gopi’s popularity in Kerala.
Modi’s popularity also soared because of big spending on roads and bridges, his wooing of the majority Hindus including by inaugurating a temple to Lord Ram on a contested site in January, and forming alliances with strong regional groups.
The PM visited the constituency thrice this year, and Gopi was able to raise the party’s vote share in the constituency in both the Lok Sabha elections of 2019 and the Assembly elections of 2021, obtaining 8.2 per cent and 31.3 per cent, respectively, though he finished third.
Gopi, who is of Nair descent, was believed to sway upper caste votes in the Keralan state capital.
A further source of confidence for the BJP came from the considerable number of Syrian Christians in the constituency — roughly 25 per cent of the entire voter base, as per another Indian Express report.
Both groups have historically backed the Congress in the state.
Nair vs Nair in Thiruvananthapuram
In Thiruvananthapuram earlier in the day, Union Minister of State for Information Rajeev Chandrasekhar led his close rival, two-time Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, by more than 15,000 votes, giving the BJP a real chance to celebrate victory.
However, things went the other way when Tharoor overthrew Chandrasekhar’s lead and received 15,000 votes.
Finally, Chandrasekhar admitted his defeat and said, “I thank all people who supported me and BJP. We had a very good positive campaign in the constituency. Our vote share has increased.”
Tharoor and Chandrasekhar, both Nairs born and raised abroad, attempted to woo the same sections: the upper class and the Christian community.
Meanwhile, the Congress leader told reporters, “This election was a major challenge, but people of Thiruvananthapuram gave me a chance for fourth term. In urban areas, they (BJP) have gained more votes. But rural and coastal areas have favoured us. When a minister (Rajeev Chandrasekhar) in a regime is contesting, many people will vote for him. People think they will get a minister. We cannot prevent such votes.”
With inputs from agencies