// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Padmaja Venugopal a good pad for your journal?
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Padmaja Venugopal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Padmaja Venugopal 27 October 1960[1] Thrissur, Kerala, India |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (2024–present) |
Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress (1996 — 2024) |
| Spouse | Dr. Venugopal |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent | K. Karunakaran |
| Relatives | K. Muraleedharan (brother) |
| Occupation | Politician Entrepreneur |
Padmaja Venugopal is an Indian politician who has been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2024.[2] Previously associated with the Indian National Congress, she served in various organisational positions in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).[3] She is the daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran.[4]
Early life and family
[edit]Padmaja Venugopal is the daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran and the sister of Congress leader K. Muraleedharan.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Padmaja Venugopal married physician Dr. Venugopal at the age of 18 in an arranged marriage. She continued her education after marriage and completed her bachelor's degree after the birth of her daughter. The couple have two children, a daughter and a son. Her daughter is settled in Dubai, while her son resides in Kerala.
Apart from politics, Padmaja has been involved in television production. She has produced 7 Malayalam television serials and has also ventured into the saree business.[6]
Political career
[edit]Indian National Congress
[edit]Padmaja Venugopal was associated with the Indian National Congress for several decades and served as a general secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. She also served as chairperson of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).
She unsuccessfully contested the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election from Thrissur as an INC candidate and got second position.[7] She again contested the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election from Thrissur and ended up in second position.[8]
Joining the Bharatiya Janata Party
[edit]In March 2024, Padmaja Venugopal resigned from the Indian National Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, citing dissatisfaction with the Congress leadership.[9][10]
Padmaja Venugopal has criticised the Congress leadership following her departure from the party and has publicly defended the BJP leadership on several occasions.[11]
Padmaja Venugopal contested the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election from Thrissur as the BJP candidate but was defeated.[12]
Electoral performance
[edit]| Election | Year | Party | Constituency | Opponent | Result | Margin | Position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lok Sabha | 2004 | INC | Mukundapuram | CPI(M) | Lonappan Nambadan | Lost | 117,097 | Runner-up | ||
| Kerala Legislative Assembly | 2016 | INC | Thrissur | CPI | V. S. Sunil Kumar | Lost | 6,987 | Runner-up | ||
| 2021 | INC | CPI | P. Balachandran | Lost | 946 | Runner-up | ||||
| 2026 | BJP | INC | Rajan J. Pallan | Lost | 31,628 | Third[13] | ||||
References
[edit]- ↑ "Padmaja Venugopal". The Hindu.
- ↑ "After switching to BJP, Padmaja Venugopal eyes Thrissur in tight three-cornered fight". Hindustan Times.
- ↑ "Padmaja exudes confidence in Thrissur as BJP banks on development pitch". The New Indian Express.
- ↑ "5 facts on Padmaja Venugopal, BJP candidate from Kerala's Thrissur who switched from Congress". Hindustan Times.
- ↑ "Padmaja Venugopal calls K V Thomas ungrateful over remarks on Karunakaran in book". ThePrint.
- ↑ "18-ാം വയസ്സിൽ ഡോക്ടറുമായി വിവാഹം; സീരിയൽ നിർമ്മാണവും സാരി ബിസിനസ്സും; മകൾ ദുബായിൽ സെറ്റിൽഡ്; മകൻ നാട്ടിലും!". Samayam Malayalam.
- ↑ "Padmaja too loses". The Hindu.
- ↑ "Kerala Election Results: Stunning victory for LDF in Thrissur". The New Indian Express.
- ↑ "Padmaja Venugopal blames K C Venugopal for exit from Congress, says Karunakaran would have joined BJP". The New Indian Express.
- ↑ "Padmaja Venugopal calls sharing Modi's vehicle in Thrissur roadshow 'sweet revenge' against Congress". The Hindu.
- ↑ "Interview: Suresh Gopi factor will work in my favour in Thrissur: Padmaja Venugopal". South First.
- ↑ "Kerala Assembly Polls 2026: BJP Fields Padmaja Venugopal From Thrissur Assembly Seat In Kerala". NDTV.
- ↑ "Third time unlucky: BJP's Padmaja Venugopal loses Thrissur seat again". The New Indian Express.
External links
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