After S Sreesanth, the BJP in Kerala has fielded another popular sportsperson in elections. Asian Games medallist Padmini Thomas will contest in the lotus symbol from the Palayam Ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in the upcoming Local Body polls.

Cricketer Sreesanth made his electoral debut in the state Assembly polls in 2016 when he contested from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. The World Cup winner finished third, behind Congress's V S Sivakumar and the Left's Antony Raju.

"I see this as my initiation to the election process. So I'm starting in Class 1 because there is much to learn," Padmini Thomas told Onmanorama when asked about her low-key debut.

A contemporary of P T Usha, Shiny Wilson and M D Valsamma, Padmini was a known track & field athlete in the 1980s. She secured a bronze in 400 metres and a silver in 4X400 metres relay at the 1982 Asian Games. She was the president of the Kerala State Sports Council and was honoured with the Arjuna Award for her athletic career.

Though the BJP has had nominal success in Assembly and General elections in Kerala (O Rajagopal claimed a seat from Nemom in the 2016 Assembly polls and Suresh Gopi triumphed from Thrissur in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections), it is a strong player in local bodies.

The BJP has been in the opposition in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, having secured 34 of the 100 seats in the 2020 polls (35 seats in 2015). Traditionally, the Palayam ward has been a left bastion, with Congress (S) candidate, Palayam Rajan, retaining the seat in 2020, when the BJP finished a distant third.

This time, Palayam is a women's reservation ward and the last time it was one, the CPM fielded its own candidate, Aisha Baker, to ensure a big win. But Padmini thinks she can turn the tide. "This is my home turf. I live nearby at Vazhuthacaud, and the people of Palayam know me well. I have done whatever I could during my time in the Sports Council and with the Railways. I am sure my people remember that and will elect me," Padmini said.