Eyeing Kerala expansion, BJP overlooks Suresh Gopi’s solo act

Actor Suresh Gopi scripted history on June 4 as he became the BJP’s first MP from Kerala, winning from Thrissur. Subsequently, he was rewarded with a Union Minister of State (MoS) berth. But since then, Gopi has been treading “uncharted territory”, often leaving his party perplexed.

The newly elected MP ruffled feathers hours after taking oath on June 9 when he told Malayalam TV channels in Delhi that he wanted to be relieved of the post. “I want to work as an MP. My stand was that I didn’t want it (Cabinet berth). I had told (the party) that I was not interested in it (Cabinet berth). I think I will be relieved soon,” he said.

As the Opposition asked him to clarify his comment and stepped up the pressure, Gopi retracted his statement and said the news was “grossly incorrect”. “It is a matter of pride for me to be in the Council of Ministers of the Modi Government and to represent the people of Kerala,” he said in a social media post, leaving the state BJP leadership in a spot of bother.

Gopi then left the BJP fending for answers after he visited CPI(M) veteran and former Kerala Chief Minister E K Nayanar’s family and the resting place of former Congress CM K Karunakaran and referred to the two as his “political gurus”. He has called former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi the “mother of India”, prompting the BJP to clarify that there were no differences. “There is no rift in the BJP in Kerala,” state party chief K Surendran told The Indian Express.

Amid such “lone forays” by Gopi in the absence of the party’s state leadership, the CPI(M) and Congress have dubbed his actions a departure from the BJP’s “traditional” ways. However, the BJP sees in him a leader who can help it expand its vote share, which has risen from 6.56% in 1999 to 16.68% in the recent Lok Sabha polls. “He is not just a politician but a celebrity and a cultural icon. He undertook these visits keeping his personal equations in mind. The party is only happy that his actions could help us increase our vote share in the state,” Surendran said.

Another BJP leader said it was only appropriate that Gopi projects an “all-encompassing” political image in a constituency where the party seems to have made significant inroads into the Congress’s voter base. “He is catering to the followers of both Nayanar and Karunakaran as they are disgruntled with their respective parties after the leaders’ deaths,” said the BJP functionary.

With Gopi attending an iftar party a week after his “Nanni chollunnu daivame (I thank you God)” remark earlier at a church, where he donated a gold rosary, questions were raised if the Thrissur MP was more comfortable flying solo. However, a BJP leader emphasised that such “leadership” was key for the party’s growth in the state. “With the Assembly elections round the corner (in 2026), the BJP will only gain from Gopi’s actions,” said the leader. Muslims comprise an estimated 14% of Thrissur’s electorate while Christians comprise around 21%.

Even during campaigning, Gopi struck a chord with Christians after he donated a golden crown to the Catholic Cathedral Church in Thrissur to mark his daughter’s wedding. While the BJP failed to get the community’s backing in other parts of the state, voting patterns in Thrissur showed that a chunk of Christian votes went in Gopi’s favour, enabling his victory by more than 74,000 votes. He had a lead in six of the seven Assembly segments of the Lok Sabha seat.

A BJP leader said, “His actions transcend political lines. The party has only encouraged him.”

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