Despite his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader Anil Antony is determined to stay put in the constituency taking a cue from Suresh Gopi, the lone BJP candidate to secure a seat in Kerala. The actor-turned-politician, despite facing two consecutive defeats, continued his efforts in Thrissur and went on to win the Lok Sabha poll.

“Plans are underway to establish a dedicated office in Pathanamthitta. We will continue to prioritise our efforts there," Anil Antony told Manorama Online. Antony, who is the party's national secretary, is in Delhi post election results attending various meetings.

The national leadership, who is satisfied with his performance in Pathanamthitta, has encouraged him to persist with his initiatives in the region. In the 2019 elections, State President K Surendran secured 2.95 lakh votes in Pathanamthitta, buoyed by the momentum of youth activism surrounding the Sabarimala issue. Despite less favourable circumstances this time around, Antony garnered 2,34,406 votes, trailing behind CPM's TM Thomas Isaac by a margin of 67,098 votes.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and former Poonjar MLA PC George slammed Anil Antony for ruining BJP's winning chances in Pathanamthitta. "Fielding a candidate who has no roots in the constituency will never help the party's chances. The fact that Congress leader AK Antony disowned his son did not help matters either," PC George told Manorama Online.

He added that BJP received most of the votes due to the personal requests made by him. He also denied allegations that he had requested a seat in the constituency.