Padmaja Venugopal is a prominent political leader from Kerala and former General Secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. Daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, has remained a familiar face in the state’s political scene.
After separating from the Indian National Congress in March 2024 following disagreements with the state leadership, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Now a member of the BJP’s national council, she is contesting from Thrissur constituency in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, making it a closely watched triangular contest against the CPM and Congress candidates.
Background and early life
Born on October 27, 1960 in Thrissur, Padmaja Venugopal comes from a prominent political family. Her father, K. Karunakaran, a prominent figure in Kerala politics, while her mother, Kalyani Kutty Amma, was also well known in public life. She completed her studies in Kerala and later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kerala University.
Padmaja entered politics in 1996 with the Congress Party and gradually rose through the party’s ranks. She became actively involved in public life in 2001 when she served as the chairperson of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. She also contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Mukundapuram, although she was unsuccessful.
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Over the years, she has remained an active Congress leader and contested from Thrissur Assembly constituency in both 2016 and 2021. In 2021, she narrowly lost the election by just 946 votes to CPI’s P. Balachandran. Her political journey took a major turn in 2024 when she left the Congress and joined the BJP, marking a major shift in her political alignment.
What happened in the previous elections?
Thrissur Assembly constituency has witnessed hotly contested elections and changing political control over the years. The Congress has held the seat for a long time, including a win in 2011 when Tiramil Ramakrishnan defeated CPI’s P. Balachandran by a comfortable margin.
However, the political landscape changed in 2016 when the Communist Party of India regained the constituency, with Sunil Kumar winning the seat. The CPI held its decline in 2021, as P Balachandran narrowly won, defeating Padmaja Venugopal by less than a thousand votes, highlighting the highly competitive nature of the constituency.
In the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, Thrissur is once again set for a three-cornered contest. Padmaja Venugopal, who now represents the BJP, faces CPI’s Alankod Lilakrishnan and Congress candidate Rajan J Balan. With the last election decided by a narrow margin, the outcome in Thrissur remains uncertain and being closely watched.
