Kerala polls: Padmaja Venugopal banks on 'Modi guarantee' in Thrissur

BJP's Thrissur candidate Padmaja Venugopal has intensified her campaign, stating she left Congress for 'mental peace'. Invoking the 'Modi guarantee' and her father K Karunakaran's legacy, she promises to develop the constituency.

Ahead of the 2026 Kerala Assembly Elections, the BJP leader and National Democratic Alliance Candidate (NDA) candidate from Thrissur, Padmaja Venugopal, has intensified her campaign, asserting that her shift from the Congress was driven by a quest for "mental peace" and a desire to bring real development to the state's cultural capital. The daughter of the late Congress leader and former Chief Minister K Karunakaran filed her nomination papers earlier this week for the April 9 elections, as she faces a triangular contest in a constituency where the BJP made history in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Actor-turned politician scored a win for the BJP in Thrissur in the 2024 general elections.

'My signature will be on Thrissur's development'

The BJP candidate highlighted her vision for Thrissur's infrastructure, promising to deliver where the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front have historically failed. "Voters believe in the 'Modi guarantee.' I am my father's daughter, and he brought immense development to Kerala. I am asking the people for one chance to show what I can do. My signature will be left on Thrissur's development, including the long-awaited Infopark and an overhauled drainage system," the 66-year-old BJP leader asserted.

Claims shift in minority community support

Responding to concerns regarding the constituency's significant minority population, she claimed a shift among the people. "Many from the Christian community are now coming to the BJP. They are tired of the UDF and LDF rotation that brings no change. They want a new direction," she said in an interview with ANI.Historically, Kerala has alternated power every five years between the two main coalitions -the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], and the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the incumbent LDF government, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was re-elected, winning 99 out of 140 seats and breaking the 40-year trend.

Padmaja Venugopal on leaving Congress

Padmaja has also categorically denied allegations of a secret pact between the BJP and the Left Democratic Front. She argued that these allegations are a smokescreen created by Congress to mask its own impending electoral losses. "There is nothing, no deals, nothing, I know that. People in the Congress are talking about this deal. They are afraid of their failure. That's why they were saying that CPM and BJP are doing something. Nothing is there," she said.

'I want mental peace'

Padmaja hit out at the Congress party's current leadership, specifically blaming AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal and Rahul Gandhi for creating an unsustainable environment. "I want mental peace. That's why I went to the BJP. In Congress, I didn't get that. Even during the election time, last election time, I am coming back at 10:00 or 10:30, then my duty is to deal with these people who are fighting. So, I have to sit with them and solve the problems, and did not get time to sleep. I was under immense tension. This time, not like that. I have no tension because they will do their party work, and if there is anything not satisfying, they will also call me and say, 'Chechi, the work is not going well.' They will tell me, not me chasing them. So, that's a main thing. People want mental peace," she told ANI.

On brother K Muraleedharan's 'betrayal' charge

Addressing the "betrayal" narrative spearheaded by her brother and senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, Padmaja said, "Family is different, and my politics is different." "My brother is elder to me and can say what he wants, but I will not criticize him. The people of Kerala are educated; they know why I left. Even my father was very unhappy with the party in his final days," she said.Padmaja has firmly ruled out any possibility of returning to the Congress Party, emphasising that her political journey had taken a different course with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which she joined in 2024. When asked if there was any chance of a "political homecoming" or mending ties with Congress, Padmaja told ANI, "No. Are you asking about my going back? No, no, no. Why would I want to go? I am very happy with the party."When discussing her political prospects in Thrissur, Padmaja expressed confidence in her local connections and relationships, saying, "I have so many personal friendships here, in Congress also." She acknowledged that her support base was built not only on party loyalty but also on the deep, personal bonds she had fostered over the years. "They will vote for me... my friends, my relatives, even my husband's family," Padmaja added.

Triangular contest in Thrissur

Padmaja had filed her nomination on Saturday in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel for the upcoming polls. She will set to contest against Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Alankode Leelakrishnan and the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Rajan Pallan. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.The tenure of the current Kerala assembly is scheduled to end on May 23. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)