Suresh Gopi, a Malayalam movie star, is leading by 73,573 votes against the Communist Party of India’s V. S. Sunil Kumar as of 1 pm, according to the Election Commission of India’s website. Also in the race is former Congress MP K. Muraleedharan.
For the BJP, this win could be crucial, marking the first time the party would clinch a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, a state that has been elusive to them so far. Thrissur is one of the seats the BJP has been focusing on this election.
"Thrissur njan edukkuva (I am taking Thrissur), Enikku venom Thrissur (I want Thrissur)." This was the slogan with which BJP's Thrissur candidate, actor-politician Suresh Gopi, led his election campaign this time. Early trends suggest that the strategy is paying off, as Gopi, who was fielded again by the BJP despite losing the previous election, appears poised for a historic victory in Thrissur.
Gopi is running from the constituency for the second consecutive time. In 2019, he was defeated by Congress candidate TN Prathapan, finishing a distant third with 1,21,267 votes. In 2021, Suresh Gopi also contested the Kerala State Assembly elections from the Thrissur segment but was unsuccessful, losing the polls by 3,806 votes.