Lok Sabha Election Results: Actor-politician Suresh Gopi created history on Tuesday by giving the BJP its first elected MP from Kerala. The actor, who contested from Thrissur, won by a huge margin of 74,686 votes against the nearest rival and Left candidate V S Sunilkumar. 


Suresh Gopi's historic win


Gopi's win has put an end to the over seven decades-long political drought in Kerala for the BJP. 


The trend has come as a surprise for the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-headed UDF. Both parties dismissed various exit polls predicting a Gopi victory and the possibility of the BJP making inroads in the southern state until the very last moment. 


The actor-turned-politician said that he owes this "win" to the secular voters of Thrissur and that he bows before them.  


“I pay my 'pranam' to all the gods as this was a huge struggle for me and the gods have rewarded me. I was swimming across the tide and the people of Thrissur have showered their blessings on me. I wish to thank Amit Shah for launching me in the constituency in 2023 and my political god - Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Gopi was quoted as saying by IANS. 


The national award-winning actor- had previously contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 assembly election from the same central Kerala constituency, but the voters did not support his bid. 


Here’s everything about the actor: 


Suresh Gopi, born in June 1958 in Alappuzha, Kerala, is a multifaceted personality with significant contributions to cinema, television, and politics. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and a Master of Arts degree in English Literature. Primarily known for his work in Malayalam cinema, Gopi has also appeared in films across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi languages.  


Film career 


Gopi's entry into the film industry saw him acting in numerous movies, but his major breakthrough came with the lead role in Shaji Kailas's Thalastaanam (1992). This success was followed by his performance in Ekalavyan (1993), which solidified his status as a dependable star in Malayalam cinema. Over his career, he has acted in more than 250 films, including notable titles like Manichitrathazhu, Commissioner, Lelam. 


In 1998, Gopi's portrayal in Kaliyattam earned him both the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor. After his performance in My God (2015), he took a hiatus from acting, only to make a triumphant return with a pivotal role in Varane Avashyamund (2020). 


Television career 


In 2012, he hosted the game show Ningalkkum Aakaam Kodeeshwaran on Asianet, the Malayalam adaptation of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. His engaging presence on the show led him to host it for five more seasons. Additionally, he hosted Anchinodu Inchodinchu on Surya TV. 


Political career 


On April 29, 2016, he was nominated for the upper house of the parliament and served in this capacity until 2022. In October 2016, Gopi officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).


He contested the 2019 Indian general elections in Kerala as a BJP candidate from the Thrissur constituency but was defeated by the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate, TN Prathapan.  


According to PTI, Gopi consistently concentrated in Thrissur and spent the lion's share of his fund as Rajya Sabha MP in these years, eying the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 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.