The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), will field Rajya Sabha MP and actor Suresh Gopi from Thrissur in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Suresh Gopi will lock horns with CPI's Rajaji Mathew Thomas and T N Prathapan of the Congress in Thrissur.
NDA's central selection committee announced the name of Suresh Gopi after the actor had a meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah in Delhi.
On Monday, NDA had announced that Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) leader Thushar Vellappally will be the candidate from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat which had shot to limelight nationally as Congress president Rahul Gandhi decided to enter the fray from there.
BDJS, an ally of the BJP-led NDA, had left out two seats while announcing the list of candidates earlier, Thrissur and Wayanad.
There were earlier speculations that Thushar might contest from Thrissur. He had earlier expressed confidence that he would win from Thrissur if he decides to enter the fray from that seat. Plans, however, went for a toss as Rahul Gandhi's name popped up for Wayanad.
As Rahul mulled entering the poll scene in Kerala, Thushar had said that his party is willing to give the Wayanad seat to BJP if the Congress chief decides to contest from there. Wayanad district committee of BJP, the leading party in the NDA, had earlier requested its state leadership to field a candidate of national stature to take on the Congress president.
Once Thushar's name was finalised for Wayanad, it was clear that Thrissur will now go for a BJP candidate.
The names of BJP state president Sreedharan Pillai, general secretary M T Ramesh, national council member P K Krishnadas and former Congressman Tom Vadakkan were among the other contenders in the party for Thrissur.
The multi-phase Lok Sabha election is set to commence on April 11, with Kerala going to polls on April 23 (Tuesday).
The BJP will contest in 15 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The BDJS will contest in four seats and the P C Thomas-led Kerala Congress will contest the Kottayam seat.