On His 2nd Attempt, Actor Gets BJP Its 1st-Ever Lok Sabha Seat In Kerala

It may have failed to get a majority on its own, but the BJP has managed to make inroads in a state that has rejected it in Lok Sabha elections throughout its history. National award-winning Suresh Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat for the saffron party, ensuring that it opened its account in Kerala.

Up against two strong candidates in the CPM's VS Sunilkumar and the Congress' K Muraleedharan, Mr Gopi managed to win the seat by 74,686 seats. 

Exit polls had also predicted a win for the actor but his rivals had said it would not happen - and they had support from history. Mr Gopi had contested from the constituency in 2019 as well, but had come third, losing to the Congress' TN Prathapan by a margin of 1.2 lakh votes. He had also fought from the Thrissur Assembly constituency in 2021, coming third again, but losing by a margin of less than 4,000 votes. 

He also focused on the constituency during his stint in the Rajya Sabha between 2016 and 2022, which seems to have finally yielded dividends. 

Controversies

In 2022, Mr Gopi had courted controversy when he distributed 'kaineettam', a gift of coins or small amounts of money, during the harvest festival of Vishu. He was distributing the gifts from a car while people, including women, touched his feet to seek his blessings. 

The actor was criticised for allowing people to touch his feet, but he responded by dismissing his critics as an "army of irritating tadpoles" and claiming that his actions were driven by good intentions.

A recent harassment case, filed by a woman journalist, was also a challenge as was a controversy that arose after the actor and his family offered a golden crown to a cathedral in Thrissur. 

Mr Gopi, however, continued to receive support from the BJP brass and PM Narendra Modi also attended the wedding of his elder daughter in January. 

Expressing his gratitude to the people of Thrissur, the actor said he had to struggle and and "swim against the flow" to win. He called the people of the constituency "praja daivangal" and PM Modi his "political god."