Can the ‘Suresh Gopi effect’ that reshaped Kerala’s electoral narrative now redraw the political map of Thrissur Corporation? Have his much-publicised information sessions – from Kalungu Samvadam to SG Coffee Times – really built political capital? And can the Bharatiya Janata Party repeat its spectacular breakthrough in the Lok Sabha, where Mr. Gopi made unprecedented strides across Corporation divisions?
These questions dominate Thrissur’s political chatter – barely a year after the actor-turned-politician cracked Kerala’s electoral equations.
Mr Gopi’s landslide victory in the Lok Sabha – by a staggering margin of 74,840 votes – was hailed as a watershed moment not only for Thrissur but also for the BJP in Kerala. It was the party’s first-ever Lok Sabha seat in the state achieved by a man who attacked both the Left Democratic Front and United Democratic Front strongholds with the same fire he once wielded on screen.
Even earlier, in the 2021 assembly polls, Mr. Gopi took the BJP’s vote share in Thrissur to an all-time high of 31.3%, up nearly 12 points from 2016. The BJP, which has six seats in the Corporation Council, hopes to expand its footprint in the society. Party officials insist that the “Suresh Gopi wave” remains intact.
“There is no politician who tries so hard to connect with the common people,” said former BJP district secretary and state vice-president KK Aneesh Kumar. “He is genuine, without prejudice. People love him. Those who criticize him are just jealous of his popularity.”
BJP strategists point to the Lok Sabha results where Mr. Gopi secured a majority in 35 of the 55 divisions of the Thrissur Corporation. “A majority of 27-28 seats is enough to rule the corporation. It is not a tall order,” Mr Kumar said.
Yet beneath the confidence lies an emerging counter-narrative.
A section of political observers insist that Mr Gopi’s victory in the Lok Sabha was personal – not an ideological endorsement of the BJP. More critically, they say the image that fueled his victory took visible dents in the months that followed.
The flashpoint is Kalungu Samvadam – Mr. Gopi’s flagship listening program which ironically turned into a political failure.
The trouble started at the very first event in Pullu, Thrissur, when Mr. Gopi appeared curtly with an elderly man pleading for help in repairing his crumbling house. “That’s not my job,” he said, returning the petition unopened — a moment captured on video and widely circulated.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) quickly intervened and promised to build a new house for the men. “It was cruelly domineering behavior unbecoming of a public representative,” CPI(M) district secretary KV Abdul Khadar said. “Mr. Gopi repeatedly treats people seeking help with disdain.”
Another viral clip showed Mr. Gopi tersely dismissing a woman who is distressed over her lost savings in the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam. More such episodes followed and Kalungu Samvadam gradually turned into a symbol of disconnection rather than accessibility.
“There has never been a politician who has been trolled so much in Kerala,” noted a political observer. The backlash intensified when Mr. Gopi addressed citizens as praja, a term critics call feudal and tone-deaf.
Still, Mr. Gopi remains defiant. “People are really looking forward to these sessions,” he said, blaming political opponents for the criticism. When asked if he “still acts like his movie characters”, he replied: “Why should I assume that?
Congressional officials say the veneer has slipped.
“This is a smoke screen to hide the allegations of vote stealing and his stupendous performance as an MP and minister,” Thrissur DCC president Joseph Tajet said. “There are no results, no real talks – only showmanship. His arrogance is driving people away. The popularity he had during the Lok Sabha elections is fading fast.”
For now, the BJP says Mr. Gopi remains its strongest asset, while the opposition says he has become its own political obstacle.
As Thrissur heads into a crucial civic battle, one question looms larger than ever: Will the ‘Suresh Gopi effect’ propel the BJP forward – or has the wave already begun to recede?
Published – 26 Nov 2025 09:43 IST
