After switching to BJP, Padmaja Venugopal eyes Thrissur in tight three-cornered fight

Padmaja Venugopal, a former Congress leader from Kerala, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and is contesting the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections from Thrissur. She is a prominent political leader and daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran. After parting ways with the Indian National Congress in 2024, she joined the BJP and is now a member of the National Council. The Thrissur constituency is witnessing a closely watched three-way contest against CPI and Congress candidates.