THRISSUR: It is 5pm. The scorching heat is softening. Padmaja Venugopal, the NDA candidate in Thrissur, beams with a confidence rarely seen during her Congress days as she arrives on Palace Road for a roadshow.
People gather to greet her with enthusiasm, especially middle-aged working women heading home after a long day. Soon, over 150 autorickshaw drivers join the rally, all gung-ho.
“I can feel the warmth as I meet people on the field. I am sure the people of Thrissur will stand with me this time, as they always have,” says Padmaja.
Padmaja’s day begins at about 8.30 am. At 65, she remains youthful at heart, driven by experience and lessons learned over the years.
Though interactions during the campaign are brief, she makes it a point to shake hands and connect with people across age groups and genders. “I want to serve the people of Thrissur,” she says.
“There is so much I can do for this constituency — from basic infrastructure development to creating employment opportunities. I seek just one chance to do that.”
She had earlier contested on a Congress ticket in the 2004 Lok Sabha election and the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections. In 2021, she lost to CPI’s P Balachandran by a narrow margin of 946 votes.
Now, a victory for Padmaja on a BJP ticket in Thrissur would be a significant blow to the Congress and to those she has accused of undermining her in previous elections. Interestingly, ‘Padmaja’ means ‘one who is born out of the lotus’.
Throughout her campaign, Padmaja avoids diatribes and, instead, focuses on development. “Our beloved MP, Suresh Gopi, had set aside funds for welfare initiatives in Thrissur. But the LDF government blocked them,” she tells a crowd.
“We need better roads and infrastructure. For fast-paced development, Thrissur needs an MLA who is aligned with the Union government.”
The BJP camp here is upbeat, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit. After the roadshow, Padmaja heads for a review meeting at Murali Mandiram. “Whatever drawbacks we encounter during the campaign, the BJP leadership addresses them and works to resolve them by the next day,” she says.
A personal moment is also marked at the party office — Padmaja celebrates her wedding anniversary cutting a cake with local leaders.
As the day comes to a close, Padmaja informs that she has launched a “WhatThrissurWants” hashtag campaign to understand people’s priorities and serve them better. “I am confident about both the election outcome as well as the future of the BJP in Kerala,” she smiles.