Watch | Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi takes oath as Minister of State

hrissur MP Suresh Gopi took oath as Minister of State in a grand swearing in ceremony on Sunday night at Rashtrapati Bhawan.He was trolled through the Lok Sabha ballot marketing campaign, however regardless of the techniques by his rivals, motion hero Suresh Gopi rose to nationwide stardom in cinema type on June 4, successful the Thrissur seat on a BJP ticket and scripting historical past for the saffron social gathering in Kerala.In different phrases, the saffron social gathering’s decades-long battle in Kerala — a state traditionally dominated by the Left and the Congress — and marked by quite a few challenges because the Jan Sangh days, lastly yielded fruit within the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by way of Gopi.Submit-victory additionally, Gopi’s political profession noticed cinematic twists, together with his preliminary reluctance to just accept a ministerial berth within the authorities, citing his dedication to the individuals of Thrissur and agreements he had signed for a few motion pictures, one in every of which is produced by the corporate of megastar Mammootty, whom he affectionately calls Mammookka.He had returned to Kerala after attending the NDA MPs’ assembly two days in the past, however he obtained a name from Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi on Sunday, asking him to achieve Delhi instantly.“He (Modi) determined. I obeyed,” Gopi stated earlier than speeding to the airport together with his household.Identified for his ‘mass’ performances in motion and drama movies, Gopi’s almost decade-long efforts helped him flip the BJP’s long-held dream into actuality by successful the central Kerala constituency of Thrissur by a thumping margin of almost 75,000 votes.The widespread staff in addition to the highest brass of the BJP are elated by the nationwide movie award winner’s ballot victory from the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat.The constituency holds a particular place in Narendra Modi’s coronary heart, as it’s dwelling to the Guruvayur Lord Krishna temple, a well-known Vaishnavite shrine he visited quickly after assuming workplace as prime minister for the second consecutive time period in 2019.Thrissur witnessed a three-way contest for the Lok Sabha polls, with main candidates from the Congress, BJP, and CPI locked in a neck-and-neck battle.Modi’s two visits to the district this 12 months previous to the announcement of the ballot date — one for attending a rally of the BJP Mahila Morcha and one other to participate within the marriage ceremony of Gopi’s daughter — and a 3rd one for campaigning for the NDA candidates in Thrissur and different close by constituencies emphasised how a lot significance the saffron social gathering connected to this key seat.Thrissur, also known as the cultural capital of Kerala, is thought for its vibrant mixture of city and rural populations.The constituency boasts vital Hindu, Christian, and Muslim communities, contributing to its wealthy cultural and non secular range.Gopi’s marketing campaign within the seat was marked by controversies, with the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF concentrating on him for his cinema-style method to reaching out to minorities, significantly the Christian group, who represent a major vote base in Thrissur.Violence in Manipur and the alleged assaults towards Christians in different components of the nation, particularly in BJP-ruled states, had been the principle subjects highlighted by each fronts to focus on the BJP and its candidate Gopi within the seat through the marketing campaign.Gopi’s go to to the well-known Lourde Matha Church in Thrissur metropolis together with his household and the presentation of a golden crown to the idol of St Mary throughout his daughter’s marriage ceremony had been utilized by his opponents to assault him, alleging that it was not fabricated from the yellow steel however copper.The actor and his household countered the propaganda towards him by singing a melodious Christian devotional track in an album, successful the hearts of many.Gopi was additionally trolled by his opponents for visiting a mosque and collaborating in breaking of the quick on a Ramadan eve throughout his election marketing campaign.Born in southern Kollam district, Gopi, a family title in Malayalam cinema, transitioned into politics together with his nomination to the Rajya Sabha.After an unsuccessful bid for the Thrissur seat within the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and a defeat within the Thrissur meeting seat within the 2021 meeting polls, Gopi equipped for one more run in 2024.Regardless of the earlier setbacks, Gopi, recognized for his philanthropic actions, made constructive interventions within the lives of the individuals of the Thrissur constituency.His celeb standing helped Gopi successfully join with a cross-section of society, making his campaigns vibrant and fascinating.Identified for his assertive and dynamic roles in motion pictures corresponding to ‘Kaliyattam’, for which he received the nationwide award in 1998, the actor brings the identical enthusiasm to his political actions.Near Modi and House Minister Amit Shah, Gopi was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2016, the place he served till 2022.His tenure as a Rajya Sabha member allowed him to advocate for improvement and cultural nationalism, aligning intently with the saffron social gathering’s core ideology.The motion hero’s public speeches and interactions mirrored his perceived simple persona, interesting to each his followers and the voters.There have been situations of followers turning into political foes after he strongly advocated for the BJP authorities’s programmes whereas criticising the works of the Congress and Left within the state.He took on the UDF candidate, senior Congress chief Ok Muraleedharan, and Left chief and former Kerala minister, CPI’s Sunil Kumar, in Thrissur this time, occurring to win from the constituency.