Thrissur (Ker), Mar 12 (PTI) In the Central Kerala constituency of Thrissur, the BJP, Congress-led UDF, and CPI(M)-led LDF are gearing up for a fierce battle in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

This triangular contest for the April 26 polls is marked by prominent candidates: actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi representing the BJP, senior Congress leader and sitting MP from Vatakara, K Muraleedharan, and former minister and CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar.

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Gopi, credited with significantly boosting the BJP's vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, spearheads the saffron party's efforts to secure victory in this constituency and potentially break the party's electoral dry spell in the southern state.

Backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign visits, Gopi's candidacy was a foregone conclusion, despite his previous electoral setbacks.

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Historically a Congress stronghold, Thrissur has seen surprising upsets, notably defeating Congress stalwart K Karunakaran.

The Christian population, a decisive demographic, traditionally supported Congress, while the BJP aims to garner Hindu votes, capitalising on the region's cultural significance.

Congress faced a setback following the resignation of Karunakaran's daughter, Padmaja Venugopal, from the party to the BJP.

Consequently, her brother and Congress leader Muraleedharan replaced sitting MP T N Prathapan in a bid to retain the constituency for the grand old party.

On the other hand, the LDF fielded V S Sunil Kumar, a familiar face known for his grassroots connection with Thrissur's people.

The Left enjoys considerable support in Thrissur, rooted in the legacy of late leaders like Chief Minister C Achutha Menon and V V Raghavan.

Amidst national and state issues, the alleged scam in the Left-controlled Karuvannur cooperative bank emerges as a critical electoral concern, currently under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate.

As Thrissur prepares for the elections, known for its famous Pooram festival in April, the result of this three-way contest will impact the local political scene, showing how people's opinions are changing.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)