Padmaja Venugopal

Padmaja Venugopal was born in Thrissur, Kerala, into a prominent political family as the daughter of former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran. She has been actively involved in public life and politics for several decades.

She began her political career with the Indian National Congress and held several organisational positions, including roles in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). She was also associated with labour and trade union activities and held leadership roles within party structures.

She entered electoral politics by contesting the 2004 Lok Sabha election from Mukundapuram constituency, but was unsuccessful. She later contested the 2016 Kerala Assembly election from Thrissur, losing to CPI candidate V. S. Sunil Kumar.

In the 2021 Kerala Assembly election, she again contested from Thrissur constituency but lost narrowly to P. Balachandran of the CPI. Her repeated electoral attempts established her as a consistent political presence in the constituency.

In March 2024, she resigned from Congress, citing dissatisfaction with leadership and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, marking a significant shift in her political career. She later became a member of the BJP National Council.

As of Mar 2026, Padmaja Venugopal is contesting the upcoming Kerala Assembly election from the Thrissur Assembly constituency, continuing her active engagement in state politics and public affairs.