After party switch, Padmaja Venugopal ends third in Thrissur’s keenly fought three-way race

Former Congress leader Padmaja Venugopal joined the BJP in 2024 and contested the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections from Thrissur.

Updated on: May 4, 2026, 16:12:20 IST

By Payal Kumari

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Padmaja Venugopal is a prominent political leader from Kerala and a former General Secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. The daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, she has remained a familiar face in the state’s political landscape.

Former Congress leader from Kerala Padmaja Venugopal addresses media after joining Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of party leader Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi on March 7. (PTI)

After parting ways with the Indian National Congress in March 2024 following differences with the state leadership, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, the switch to BJP National Council, did not help her case as she finished third in the three-way contest against CPI and Congress candidates in the Thrissur constituency in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.

Rajan J. Pallan, Indian National Congress candidate, won the seat with 60,290 votes as he secured a margin of 26,803 votes over second-placed Alankode Leelakrishnan, who polled 33,487 votes. Venugopal, meanwhile, managed 28662 votes, having trailed Pallan by 31628 mark.

Background and Early Life

Born on October 27, 1960, in Thrissur, Padmaja Venugopal comes from a prominent political family. Her father, K. Karunakaran, was a towering figure in Kerala politics, while her mother, Kalyani Kutty Amma, was also well known in public life. She completed her schooling in Kerala and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kerala.

Padmaja entered politics in 1996 with the Congress and gradually rose within the party ranks. She became actively involved in public life in 2001 when she served as Chairperson of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. She also contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Mukundapuram, though she was unsuccessful.

Also Read: Elections 2026: When will Election Commission begin counting of votes in Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala ?

Over the years, she remained an active Congress leader and contested the Thrissur Assembly constituency in both 2016 and 2021. In 2021, she narrowly lost the election by just 946 votes to CPI’s P. Balachandran. Her political journey took a significant turn in 2024 when she left the Congress and joined the BJP, marking a major shift in her political alignment.

What happened in previous elections?

The Thrissur Assembly constituency has witnessed closely contested elections and shifting political control over the years. The Congress held the seat for a long period, including a victory in 2011 when Therambil Ramakrishnan defeated CPI’s P. Balachandran by a comfortable margin.

However, the political landscape changed in 2016 when the Communist Party of India regained the constituency, with V. S. Sunil Kumar winning the seat. The CPI retained its hold in 2021, as P. Balachandran secured a narrow victory, defeating Padmaja Venugopal by less than a thousand votes, highlighting the highly competitive nature of the constituency.

In the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, Thrissur is once again set for a three-cornered contest. Padmaja Venugopal, now representing the BJP, is up against CPI’s Alankode Leelakrishnan and Congress candidate Rajan J. Pallan. With recent elections decided by narrow margins, the outcome in Thrissur remains uncertain and keenly watched.

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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