UDF candidate K Muraleedharan announced on June 4 that he will take a break from active politics, expressing disappointment with the ineffective Congress campaign that led to the BJP winning in Thrissur. He attributed his loss to the last-minute decision by the Congress leadership to shift him from his incumbent seat of Vadakara to Thrissur in an attempt to counter Suresh Gopi’s popularity and the impact of his sister Padmaja Venugopal’s switch to the BJP.
Muraleedharan stated that his disappointment would have been less if the Left candidate had won. He declared, “I have decided to stay away from contesting elections anymore as I have lost the mood to contest polls. I would stay away from public life for some time.” He highlighted the split in minority votes as a significant factor in his defeat, noting that while UDF secured a lead in Muslim-majority areas like Guruvayur, BJP gained an advantage in LDF strongholds like Thanniyam and Madakkathara, indicating anti-LDF sentiments.
Muraleedharan also pointed out the lack of support from national Congress leaders, in contrast to the extensive campaigning by PM Modi for Suresh Gopi and Pinarayi Vijayan for Sunilkumar. He claimed that a plot behind the Thrissur Pooram festival incident benefited the BJP. Ultimately, BJP candidate Suresh Gopi won with 4,12,338 votes, defeating CPI’s VS Sunil Kumar by a margin of 74,686 votes, while Muraleedharan finished third with 3,28,124 votes.
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