Kerala: BJP Candidate Suresh Gopi Gives Party Workers an Earful
Thiruvanthapuram: Malayalam actor and BJP’s high-profile candidate for Kerala’s Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency Suresh Gopi gave party workers a piece of his mind on Saturday for failing to mobilise enough number of people during his visit.
Suresh Gopi was miffed over the low turnout when he came on a visit to Vellikulangara in Thrissur. “What is the job of people working in booths if I am asked to visit a place where there are no people around? If this is the way you work then I will leave for Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow itself and work for BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrashekhar,” he said while admonishing the workers.
The actor said the BJP is engaged in a crucial battle in Thrissur, taking on the Congress and the ruling LDF. Suresh Gopi and the BJP camp were upbeat over former chief minister K Karunakaran’s daughter Padmaja Venugopal’s entry into the party the other day. However, their joy was short-lived as the Congress made a tactical move replacing the sitting MP T N Prathapan with K Muraleedharan who was to contest from his Vadakara seat.
The BJP was expecting support from Karunakaran’s followers in Thrissur following the crossover of Padmaja. It believed that Padmaja’s arrival would result in a shift of a sizeable section of traditional Congress votes in favour of Suresh Gopi. But with Muraleedharan being fielded from Thrissur, the possibility of a shift now looks remote. Political observers say this is also one of the reasons why Suresh Gopi is disturbed.
The BJP is pinning its hope on Thrissur where Suresh Gopi is now locked in a tight triangular contest with Muraleedharan and LDF’s candidate and former minister V S Sunil Kumar. Earlier Muraleedharan received a rousing reception when he arrived at the Thrissur railway station on Saturday.
Thrissur is gearing up for an interesting electoral battle this time.