Born to O Madhavan Nair and O Kunhikkavu Amma at Pudukkad Panchayath in Palakkad in 15 September 1929, he had his school education in Alathur and college education at Palghat Victoria College.

For higher education he went to Chennai. After study in law he started practice in the Palakkad District Court in 1956.

He was greatly attracted to the ideals of Deena Dayal Upadhyaya and became a worker of ‘Janasangh’. On the death of Upadhyaya in 1968, Rajagopal stepped into public life more actively. He was State General Secretary of ‘Janasangh’ till 1974 and became its president in 1974.

After emergency when ‘Janasangh’ merged with Janatha Party he was its State General Secretary. In 1980, on the split of Janatha Party when BJP (Bharathiya Janatha Party) was formed he became its Kerala factor president till 1986.