Congress veteran Muraleedharan’s entry transforms battle for Thrissur

In Kerala’s key Lok Sabha constituency of Thrissur, the Congress’ surprise candidate, K Muraleedharan, has swiftly transformed the dynamics of the political contest that also involves the BJP and the state’s ruling Left.

It may not have been this way if Muraleedharan’s sister Padmaja Venugopal had not defected from the Congress tothe BJP and a worried Congress had not hurriedly moved Muraleedharan’s candidature to Thrissur from Vadakara, which he represents in the Lok Sabha and where he had already started campaigning.

It is no ordinary sibling feud. Muraleedharan’sand Padamaja’s late father was K Karunakaran, a legendary Congress leader and a former chief minister of Kerala.

Hero’s welcome

On the day The Federal visited Thrissur constituency, which will see a high-profile Lok Sabha battle, Muraleedharan, a former KPCC president, reached the city to a rousing welcome at the railway station from Congress supporters.

Muraleedharan had initiated meetings with key individuals in Vadakara and had printed and erected hundreds of hoardings, posters and graffiti that he found himself moved to Thrissur.

Historically, Muraleedharan's electoral journey in Thrissur was never a smooth ride. In 1998, he was defeated in the constituency by CPI's VV Raghavan, who had earlier defeated his father Karunakaran, too.

Similarly, when Muraleedharan contested from the neighbouring Wadakkanchery Assembly constituency in a 2004 by-election, when he was the electricity minister in the UDF cabinet, victory remained elusive.

Sibling trouble

On his arrival in Thrissur, Muraleedharan needed to address his sister's defection to the rival camp. Despite a clear statement of severing all ties with her, the question continued to haunt him.

“The party has entrusted me with a mission in Thrissur, not just to defeat the BJP but to push it to the third position. It was on Thursday night when the party indicated this new task to me. I would never miss an opportunity to fight against the BJP. Padmaja quitting the Congress is not a loss for the party. I won't abandon the legacy of my father for the Sangh Parivar nor will I let the Sanghis enter our father’s memorial,” said Muraleedharan.

Confident Communist

Interestingly, their house, named Murali Mandiram, where Karunakaran was laid to rest in Thrissur town, belongs to Padmaja. It was from there she met the media on Tuesday morning.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate, VS Sunilkumar, a Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and a former agriculture minister, is hugely popular as a local hailing form the neighbouring town of Anthikkad. Sunilkumar was the MLA from Thrissur in 2016-21. The LDF calculates that his popularity would do the trick this time.

“We've already set the trend. The people's participation is a clear indication, and I can sense their intent," said Sunilkumar. "People understand that this election is crucial not just for Thrissur but for the entire nation, and they recognise that the Left parties are the ones they can trust.

“They know who the real Modi is — he's the one who denied us the supply of rice when we needed it most during the floods of 2018 and 2019," he added.

Sunilkumar said Muraleedharan's candidacy might help the Congress to regroup, and particularly the former 'I' (Indira) group to come alive. “But for us, that's not an issue. The vibrancy at the grassroots is key for any election. Here, we have that. We've struck the right chords from the beginning," said Sunilkumar.

Suresh Gopi's prospects

BJP candidate Suresh Gopi, an actor-turned-politician, has been actively engaged in the constituency for some years. Despite consecutive defeats in the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections, he garnered a significant number of votes for the BJP.

His team has worked tirelessly, organising numerous PR events, establishing social media groups and even supporting local YouTube channels to enhance his visibility in the area.

Following criticism during the last election for his statement about "taking Thrissur with him", Gopi has adopted a more tempered approach. "I was simply appealing to voters for their support. With the assurances from the BJP government and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, we are confident of a turnaround this time," the seasoned actor said.

Modi had made two consecutive visits in less than a month to Thrissur, the second one to attend Gopi's daughter's wedding, underscoring the significance the party attaches to this constituency.

Left makes inroads

The electoral landscape in Thrissur displays nuanced variations depending on the type of election — Assembly or Lok Sabha. Traditionally a stronghold of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), Thrissur has notably shifted its allegiance to the LDF in the last two Assembly elections.

The Left parties dominate all but one constituency in the district. However, the scenario differs in Lok Sabha elections, where the Congress has consistently held an advantage in this constituency, particularly benefiting from a significant Christian vote share.

In 2019, UDF’s TN Prathapan secured a resounding victory in Thrissur. He swept 415,089 votes, constituting 39.84 per cent of the total share. Rajaji Mathews Thomas from the CPI received 321,456 votes, accounting for 30.85 per cent while Suresh Gopi of BJP obtained 293,822 votes or 28.2 per cent.

Gopi’s showing

This was notably higher than the 2014 elections when the BJP’s KP Sreeshan had got 102,681 votes in the same constituency.

In the Assembly elections of 2016, BJP candidates secured 235,556 votes across the seven segments falling within the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency. However, in 2021, this tally decreased to 183,256.

Suresh Gopi, who contested from the Thrissur Assembly segment, achieved a personal milestone by securing 40,457 votes, marking an all-time high for BJP in this constituency.

Despite finishing third behind the LDF and UDF candidates, his increased vote count suggests a growing support base for the BJP in the region. This would have been unthinkable in earlier times.

Change in dynamics

The BJP had a strategic aim of undermining the vote base of Karunakaran loyalists by luring Padmaja. This prompted the Congress to shift Muraleedharan to this constituency.

With Muraleedharan's entry, the dynamics of the political contest have undergone a swift transformation.

As a prominent leader in the state, Murali – as he is widely referred to – has consistently demonstrated his distinct campaign strategy. This was evident when he was initially named a candidate in Vadakara in 2019 while serving as an MLA from Vattiyurkavu.

It was further highlighted when he was asked to contest from Nemom in 2021, where he was pushed to the third place, despite the BJP losing its incumbent seat. He increased the Congress vote share considerably, from the previous election.

Now in Thrissur, Murali has assembled his own campaign team, which includes a Dubai-based agency tasked with creating digital and visual campaign materials.

Media management

“We have assembled a team of media professionals to manage Muraleedharan's online campaign. This team comprises cameramen, editors, graphic designers and directors, and we employ cutting-edge techniques to capture attention on social media. This includes promoting our candidate while also employing tactics to undermine our opponents. For the latter, we utilise anonymous profiles, and you can imagine the rest,” Sudheer, one of his team members, told The Federal.

On the other hand, Suresh Gopi has also gathered a substantial team comprising professionals and RSS cadres to support his campaign. They have devised a multifaceted strategy, leveraging both the advantages of central government schemes and Gopi's own charitable initiatives.

His occasional political missteps often grab headlines, prompting his PR team to try to capitalise on them and spin them positively for his benefit.

The latest development occurred when Gopi was asked about the change in the Congress candidate. He responded by stating that he is focused solely on his “subjects” in the constituency, rather than his opponent.

The choice of words, referring to voters as "subjects", sparked a significant uproar on social media. His ignorance of the difference between subject and citizen was dubbed as his disregard for democracy. It immediately became a shot in the arm for especially the Left circles.

Thrissur’s importance

“After centuries of struggle, we have transformed ourselves from subdued subjects to dignified citizens. Thousands have sacrificed their lives for this. Yet, a candidate is threatening to cancel our citizenship and take us back to being subjects,” remarked Malayalam poet and actor Balachandran Chullikkad during a speech at an election convention for Sunilkumar, the LDF candidate.

With three high-profile candidates in the mix, Thrissur has undeniably become Kerala's spotlight constituency, where predictions veer towards unpredictability.