Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, on the cusp of a remarkable victory in the Thrissur parliamentary seat, expressed his euphoria as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made significant strides in Kerala—traditionally considered a stronghold for regional and left-leaning parties. According to the trends announced by the Election Commission on Tuesday, the counting of votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections swung in favor of the BJP, heralding what Gopi described as a momentous achievement for the party.
“What was very impossible became gloriously possible,” said Gopi, who is contesting the seat for the second time after an earlier unsuccessful bid in the 2019 general elections. Ecstatically, he thanked the voters of Thrissur for their support and emphasized that their choice was a testament to the truly secular values they embodied. “Attempts were made to mislead the voters, but God led them on the correct path to accept my party through me,” he proclaimed. “Even if some of you feel that this is a miracle, this miracle was imminent. The victory is due to people’s blessings. I bow down to the truly secular voters of Thrissur who made this victory possible,” he added.
Gopi also took the opportunity to highlight his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he termed his “political God”. Dispelling notions of being committed solely to a manifesto, the actor-turned-politician stated his broader vision for Kerala. “I will work for the whole of Kerala; I will work as Kerala MP,” he asserted, underscoring his commitment to the state’s development.
At the influencer age of 65, Gopi reflected on his journey, describing it as an “emotional carriage” that has spanned seven years, beyond the constraints of a mere 62-day campaign process. One of his immediate priorities, he revealed, would be to advocate for the establishment of an AIIMS in Kerala—a project that has been a long-standing demand in the state’s healthcare sector.
The BJP candidate lauded the relentless efforts of his campaign workers, who worked tirelessly across more than a thousand booths within the constituency. He also acknowledged the contributions of numerous women from other districts and states, including Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi, who significantly bolstered his campaign. “Their effort made a positive impact,” he acknowledged.
.
As per the Election Commission’s website data at 2 pm, Suresh Gopi led with a commendable tally of 400,706 votes in the Thrissur constituency, carving out a margin of 73,091 votes over CPI’s V S Sunil Kumar. In contrast, Congress’ Muraleedharan garnered 319,560 votes, reflecting the shifting political tides in the region.
Elsewhere in Kerala, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi maintained a significant lead in the Wayanad constituency, surpassing his nearest rival, CPI’s Annie Raja, by 3,28,460 votes. Moreover, Congress stalwart Shashi Tharoor held a favorable lead over BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Thiruvananthapuram, amassing 325,896 votes. CPI’s Pannian Raveendran trailed in third place, according to EC data.
In a similar trend, Congress candidate KC Venugopal secured a lead of 364,811 votes against his nearest competitor, AM Ariff of the CPI(M), with BJP’s Sobha Surendran trailing in third place.
The polling in Kerala was conducted in a single phase on April 26, recording a voter turnout of 71.27 percent. Of the 2,77,49,158 registered voters in the state, a substantial 1,97,77,478 individuals exercised their right to vote. Notably, in the 2019 General Elections, the NDA, spearheaded by the BJP, failed to secure a single seat in Kerala. However, this year’s election results show a marked shift, partly attributed to the BJP’s focused engagement with the Christian community, which constitutes 18.38 percent of the state’s population.
On a national scale, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, surpassed the majority mark in early leads, with the INDIA bloc crossing the threshold of 200 seats. These figures defied all previous exit poll predictions. Currently, the BJP is leading in 240 seats according to the most recent trends from the Election Commission of India.
The Lok Sabha elections were spread across seven phases from April 19 to June 1, culminating in a historic result for the BJP, particularly in southern bastions like Kerala, where inroads have proven challenging in past elections.
