KOCHI: The decline in vote share in assembly segments under the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency has triggered a debate within the BJP with a section of leaders blaming the party leadership and Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi for not delivering any major project to the district.
BJP leaders have expressed surprise over the sharp decline in vote share, particularly in the Thrissur assembly constituency. While the vote share in Manalur and Nattika showed a remarkable increase compared to 2021, the performance in the other five constituencies was disappointing.
“Expectations were high when we got a representative elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time. I agree the burden of expectation is heavy. But Suresh Gopi should have convinced the central leadership to grant a mega project for Kerala.
This would have helped convince the people that BJP is a pro-development party. Suresh Gopi’s charisma was a key factor that helped BJP win in Thrissur. We need to deliver to gain the confidence of voters,” a senior leader said.
The office of the MP said administrative sanction has been provided for works worth Rs 7.135 crore in Thrissur under the MPLAD scheme till date. A total of 369 cases were recommended for medical assistance under PMNRF, and assistance amounting to Rs 49.90 lakh was distributed to beneficiaries. But party workers say the BJP should bring mega projects. Though there have been assurances about granting AIIMS and Central Forensic Science Research Lab, nothing has materialised.
“The BJP had conducted pre-election assessment at the booth level before the elections and a performance analysis will be conducted soon to assess expectations and achievements,” a senior leader said.
The booth-level assessment for the Thrissur assembly constituency reported that Padmaja Venugopal will get 43,000 votes, including 37,000 party votes and personal votes. But Padmaja polled only 28,662 votes, which was 15,000 less than the expected vote share. There was a similar decline in vote share in Ollur, Irinjalakuda and Pudukkad.
“I don’t want to comment on the results. The party leadership will assess the performance and find the reasons for the performance,” Padmaja said. Meanwhile, BJP state vice-president and Guruvayur candidate B Gopalakrishnan said: “My attempt was to consolidate Hindu votes, and that succeeded to some extend.
We couldn’t get the desired result as the party machinery wasn’t strong in Guruvayur. It was the LDF that benefited from the consolidation of Hindu votes. This consolidation led to the defeat of the Muslim League candidate. It is unfair to compare Lok Sabha votes with assembly votes as the pattern is completely different.”