Kochi, 07 May (H.S.): The decline in the BJP’s vote share in Assembly segments under the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency has triggered intense discussions within the party, with a section of leaders and workers holding Thrissur MP and Union Minister Suresh Gopi, along with the party leadership, responsible for the setback.

Party insiders argue that the BJP failed to capitalise on the momentum created by Suresh Gopi’s landmark Lok Sabha victory from Thrissur in 2024. According to them, the inability to bring major Central government projects to Kerala weakened the party’s development narrative and affected voter confidence during the Assembly elections.

“The expectations were huge when Kerala elected its first BJP MP from Thrissur. Suresh Gopi should have been able to convince the Central leadership to sanction at least one mega project for the state. If such a project had materialised, it would have strengthened the perception that the BJP prioritises development,” a senior BJP leader said.

The leader added that Suresh Gopi’s personal popularity had played a major role in the BJP’s Lok Sabha victory in Thrissur, but sustaining voter support required visible developmental achievements. Party workers have reportedly been demanding major projects such as AIIMS and the proposed Central Forensic Science Research Laboratory, both of which were promised earlier but are yet to become a reality.

The BJP’s performance in the Thrissur Assembly constituency has particularly shocked party leaders. While the party improved its vote share in Manalur and Nattika compared to the 2021 Assembly election, the performance in the remaining five Assembly segments was considered disappointing.

Internal booth-level assessments in Thrissur had projected that BJP candidate Padmaja Venugopal would secure around 43,000 votes, including committed party votes and personal support. However, she eventually managed only 28,662 votes — nearly 15,000 fewer than expected. Similar declines in vote share were also reported from Ollur, Irinjalakuda, and Pudukkad constituencies.

Responding to the results, Padmaja Venugopal avoided direct criticism and said the party leadership would review the performance and identify the reasons behind the setback.

Meanwhile, BJP state vice-president and Guruvayur candidate B. Gopalakrishnan defended the party’s campaign strategy, stating that efforts to consolidate Hindu votes had succeeded to some extent. However, he admitted that weak organisational strength in Guruvayur prevented the BJP from achieving the expected result.

He also argued that the consolidation of Hindu votes had, in reality, benefited the Left Democratic Front in some constituencies and contributed to the defeat of the Muslim League candidate. Gopalakrishnan further maintained that comparing Lok Sabha and Assembly election voting patterns was unfair, as both elections followed entirely different political dynamics.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman