Thiruvananthapuram
The surprising defeat of senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency has sparked controversy within the state party unit. Posters criticizing the district leadership for Muraleedharan’s unexpected loss appeared on Wednesday. Muraleedharan announced his decision not to contest elections anymore and to take a break from public life following his defeat. Despite appeals from senior UDF leaders like K C Venugopal, Shashi Tharoor, and P K Kunhalikutty, Muraleedharan expressed disappointment over his failure.
BJP’s Suresh Gopi emerged victorious in Thrissur, with CPI’s Sunilkumar securing the second position. This outcome shocked a segment of Youth Congress activists, who blamed the district party leadership for allegedly facilitating the BJP’s success. Posters appeared at the District Congress Committee office, criticizing former MP T N Prathapan and DCC president Jose Valloor for the defeat.
Muraleedharan, a seasoned politician and son of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, shifted to the Thrissur segment from Vadakara at the party’s behest. Despite high confidence in his victory, he finished third, citing lack of support from the party leadership during campaigning. Muraleedharan’s sister, Padmaja Venugopal, who recently joined the BJP, claimed she had warned her brother about certain Congress leaders in the district, asserting her decision to switch parties was validated by recent events.
