5 facts on Padmaja Venugopal, BJP candidate from Kerala's Thrissur who switched from Congress

Former Congress leader Padmaja Venugopal is contesting again from the Thrissur constituency in the 2026 elections, but this time as a BJP candidate.

Updated on: May 3, 2026, 11:28:47 IST

By Payal Kumari

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Padmaja Venugopal is a prominent political activist in Kerala and a former General Secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), as well as a leader of the Congress Women’s Wing. She is the daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran.

Former Congress leader from Kerala Padmaja Venugopal addresses media after joining Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (PTI)

Following differences with the KPCC leadership and the Thrissur District Congress Committee since 2021, Padmaja Venugopal left the Congress on 7 March 2024 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She has been a member of the BJP National Council since March 2025 and is contesting again from the Thrissur constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections as a BJP candidate.

Also Read: Kerala's Thrissur turns battleground as Congress' Rajan J Pallan eyes return amid three-cornered fight

5 Key Facts about Padmaja Venugopal

Born on 27 October 1960 in Thrissur, to former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran and Kalyani Kutty Amma, Padmaja Venugopal completed her early education in Kerala and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kerala.
Padmaja joined the Indian National Congress in 1996 and became active in politics in 2001 when she served as Chairperson of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. She first contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from the Mukundapuram constituency on a Congress ticket but was defeated.
She later contested the Thrissur Assembly constituency in both 2016 and 2021 as a Congress candidate. In 2021, she lost by a narrow margin of 946 votes against CPI’s P Balachandran
She left the Congress party in March 2024 following differences with the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and the Thrissur District Congress Committee (DCC). She then joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was elected as a member of its National Council in March 2025.
The Thrissur constituency is set to witness a closely watched three-way contest in the 2026 Assembly elections, with CPI’s Alankode Leelakrishnan representing the LDF, Congress’ Rajan J. Pallan for the UDF, and Padmaja Venugopal contesting as the BJP candidate for the NDA.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Payal Kumari
Payal is a budding journalist currently pursuing her passion for storytelling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. She has always loved writing and reading, and over time, these interests grew into a strong desire to tell stories that people can connect with. This is what led her to choose journalism and content writing as a career. She has interned with Prabhat Khabar, where she worked with the social media team. During her internship, she created content for different platforms and learned how to write in a clear and engaging way for a wide audience. This experience helped her understand how digital content works and improved her writing skills. Payal is always looking to learn and grow as a writer. She is open to exploring different kinds of stories and wants to keep getting better with each piece she writes. Outside of her work and studies, she is an avid reader. She enjoys reading all kinds of books, especially fiction and fantasy, and loves getting lost in different worlds and characters. Reading has always been a big part of her life and continues to inspire her writing. She is excited to keep learning, writing, and discovering where her journey in journalism takes her.Read More

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