Tripolar Contest In Thrissur: Last-Minute Entry Of Muraleedharan Changes The Picture

The Thrissur constituency is all set to witness a fierce battle for the upcoming general elections. The unexpected arrival of K Muraleedharan, the sitting MP of the Vadakara constituency and the son of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, to the Thrissur constituency, has drastically changed the political picture of the constituency.

Political observers claim that Congress’ decision to replace TN Prathapan, the sitting MP of the Thrissur constituency, with K Muraleedharan is a reaction against his sister Padmaja Venugopal’s switching allegiance to the BJP from Congress. Along with K. Muraleedharan,the other candidates in the fray include former agriculture Minister VS Sunil Kumar of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and actor-turned politician Suresh Gopi of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). With three high-profile candidates, Thrissur is one of the most closely watched constituencies in Kerala.

Three parties started their election campaigns even before the date for the election was announced. Since Christian votes are very crucial in the constituency, the candidates are seen visiting churches often. Last month, BJP candidate Suresh Gopi offered a golden crown to Lourdes Church, which sparked controversy as Thrissur Corporation councillor Leela Varghese and a member of the Congress party asked the parish council meeting of the Lourdes Church to clarify the weight of the golden crown and how much gold has been involved in it. Aside from this, there were also allegations that the act of the BJP candidate was solely intended to muster Christian votes.

Even though the BJP has pinned its hope on Suresh Gopi considering that he collected 28.2% of the votes from the Thrissur constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which was more than double what the BJP got in 2014, the last-minute entry of K Muraleedharan has shaken the BJP’s calculation, especially since Thrissur is the hometown of his father, K Karunakaran, and Muraleedharan possesses commands over upper cast Hindu votes than sitting Congress MP Prathapan, who is an OBC.

From 1952 to 2019, Thrissur stood with the LDF 10 times, and in the past two assembly elections, the LDF maintained its upper hand. CPI candidate Sunil Kumar is a popular face in the constituency due to his extensive connections with people across all sections. He had won from the Thrissur assembly constituency in 2016. However, malpractice at Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank involving a multi-crore loan scam remains a big challenge in front of the LDF.

Meanwhile, the PM visited Thrissur and held a massive road show in January, foreseeing the BJP’s advantage in the election. He has also attended the wedding ceremony of Suresh Gopi’s daughter, held in Thrissur. The BJP camp hopes that the Prime Minister’s continuous visit will further the party’s prospects in the constituency. Considering the vote share of different communities, Thrissur has always been a very sensitive field for all parties, where Christian and Muslim voters are 35% and 16%, respectively.

(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project.)