Actor & RS MP Suresh Gopi is NDA candidate at Thrissur

Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi has been made the BJP-led NDA candidate at Thrissur in central Kerala. He is the second sitting Rajya Sabha MP as well as the second actor to be in the fray in Kerala.

The BJP national leadership has announced Suresh Gopi’s candidature on Tuesday evening, even as a couple of others including AICC former spokesperson Tom Vadakkan, who recently shifted to the BJP, were considered.

The Thrissur seat, that comprises of the temple town Guruvayur assembly segment, is considered as one of the five winnable seats by the BJP in Kerala. It was earlier allotted to NDA partner Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) and BDJS president Thushar Vellappally’s candidature at Thrissur was also announced. However, in the wake of Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad, Thushar decided to move to Wayanad, which was also allotted by the NDA to BDJS

Suresh Gopi is the second sitting Rajya Sabha MP after Union Minister Alphonse Kannanthanam to be in the fray in Kerala. Alphonse is contesting from Ernakulam constituency. Suresh Gopi is also the second actor to be in the fray from Kerala after Innocent, the CPM candidate at Chalakkudi, close to Thrissur.

Suresh Gopi will be taking on Congress sitting MLA T N Prathapan and Rajaji Mathew Thomas of the CPI. Thrissur was the lone seat won by CPI in the country in 2014 elections. But C N Jayadevan who won the election in 2014 was denied seat this time.