Lok Sabha Elections Results 2024: In a landmark moment for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi has secured a seat in the Lok Sabha elections from Thrissur, marking the party’s first victory in Kerala.
Suresh Gopi, who contested against the Communist Party of India's former minister VS Sunil Kumar and seasoned Congress leader K Muraleedharan, maintained a decisive lead from the beginning of the counting process.
Suresh Gopi secured 4,12,338 votes and won by a margin of 74,686 votes, according to Election Commission of India.
Previously a member of the Rajya Sabha, Gopi had faced setbacks in both the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 assembly elections in Thrissur. However, his persistent efforts in the region have finally paid off.
Additionally, the BJP national leadership heavily backed Gopi's campaign this time around. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in Thrissur and his attendance at Gopi's daughter's wedding at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple significantly boosted the actor-politician's visibility and support.
Despite his victory, Suresh Gopi's political journey has not been without controversy. He faced allegations of sexual harassment when a journalist accused him of inappropriate conduct during a media interaction in Kozhikode. The BJP leadership has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, asserting their full support for Gopi. They also termed the allegation as a smear campaign by the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
This historic win is seen as a major breakthrough for the BJP in Kerala, a state traditionally dominated by the Left and Congress parties. The major players in Kerala politics are CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). However, BJP also gave a tough fight for Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram. The BJP fielded Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the constituency.
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