On the divine Guruvayur Temple, my pretty youngsters tied the knot, with the esteemed presence of our Honourable PM Narendra Modi ji. Kindly hold Bhagya and Sreyas in your prayers. ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/UFr4EucDH3
— Suressh Gopi (@TheSureshGopi) January 17, 2024
Kerala is a state the place the BJP has by no means gained a Lok Sabha seat. Its closest end was in 2019 when it got here second in Thiruvananthapuram. The social gathering gained 15 % of the votes within the final basic election when the Congress-led UDF swept the polls, successful 19 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats.
Gopi, who turned a nominated Rajya Sabha MP in 2016 and joined the BJP later that 12 months,
was fielded because the social gathering’s candidate within the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 and within the meeting seat of the identical title within the 2021 state polls, coming third each instances. Because the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw close to, Gopi seems to be gearing up for one more battle in Thrissur, though the BJP is but to formally announce any candidates.
For folks in Kerala, Gopi isn’t just an actor-politician. Other than giving the Malayalam silver display screen back-to-back hits within the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s, he wore a number of hats, from that of a well-liked TV host to a humanitarian. A few of his notable characters embrace Kannan Perumalayan in Jayaraj’s Kaliyattam, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, which bagged him the nationwide and Kerala state movie awards in 1998. After portraying versatile roles in his early profession, it was motion thrillers and cop motion pictures that made him a Mollywood star with hits corresponding to Ekalavyan (1993), Commissioner (1994), Freeway (1995), Lelam (1997), and Bharatchandran IPS (2005) to call a number of.
Nevertheless, in politics, although many agree that his affect amongst Malayalees as a philanthropist and a well-liked actor has helped the BJP to extend its vote share in Thrissur, Gopi comes along with his personal limitations. The foremost of those is an absence of expertise in organisational politics and politicking, say consultants.
Kerala has solely seen a number of profitable actor-politicians corresponding to former MP Harmless (a Left-backed Unbiased) and Kollam MLA Mukesh of the CPI(M), in addition to the state’s transport minister, Ok.B. Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B), presently an ally of the ruling LDF.
In response to Mirash Cherian Kurian, a professor of political science at Kerala’s Mahatma Gandhi College, Gopi “doesn’t have much influence” in comparison with different BJP leaders within the state.
“He is a non-politician politician and doesn’t know how to talk on a public platform in Kerala. His talking style on the stage is similar to that of his characters. The people of Kerala will not accept it, and the state leadership knows it. But Suresh Gopi doesn’t,” Kurian informed ThePrint.
The Congress management in Thrissur district echoed the sentiment.
“The BJP used Gopi as a trump card in the last polls and they did their maximum work. The election showed how much the party could win using Gopi. But the vote share can’t go up further,” C.C. Sreekumar, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s (KPCC) secretary within the district, informed ThePrint.
However the BJP appears unperturbed and assured. In response to Suvarna Prasad, BJP media convenor, “The PM’s attendance at the wedding is proof of how much Gopi is respected by the party’s national leadership.”
Expressing confidence that the BJP will win the Thrissur constituency within the upcoming polls, Prasad informed ThePrint that, in comparison with sitting MP T.N. Prathapan, “Gopi is accessible to locals.”
“He is there in Thrissur getting involved in all local matters. He also conducts welfare work for the people. We are making him the candidate considering all the work he has done and his influence in Kerala society,” he added.
Additionally Learn: Modi to go to Kerala as we speak, 2nd time in a fortnight. What makes BJP so optimistic about Kerala
His political journey
Gopi started his involvement in politics as a scholar activist of the SFI in his hometown, Kollam. A few years later, he was seen campaigning for each the state’s main political coalitions — the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Entrance (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Entrance (UDF) — within the 2006 meeting polls.
Campaigning for the UDF’s M.P. Gangadharan in Ponnani then, the actor had reportedly mentioned, “I am apolitical. I am doing this only because the candidate is my uncle.”
He was additionally seen at a marketing campaign rally for senior LDF chief V.S. Achuthanandan in Palakkad’s Malampuzha later, in keeping with media experiences.
After the 2014 basic elections, Gopi heaped praises on Modi. The BJP’s state management quickly revealed that they have been in touch with the actor.
In 2015, Gopi introduced his curiosity in becoming a member of the BJP and reportedly mentioned, “It would be decided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
In April 2016, the actor was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President within the class of eminent residents. Later, in October, he formally joined the BJP, which might go on to discipline him as a candidate within the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The 2019 elections have been held within the backdrop of the Sabarimala protests within the state, and the Congress gained from the nomination of Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.
Within the Thrissur constituency, the BJP nominated Gopi, who secured 28.2 % of the votes — a rise of 17 proportion factors from the earlier Lok Sabha elections.
Gopi, who additionally campaigned on the Sabarimala concern, got here third after the UDF’s T.N. Prathapan and the LDF’s Rajaji Mathew Thomas, who secured 39.8 % and 30.9 % of the votes respectively, in keeping with Election Fee information.
Gopi tried his luck once more within the 2021 Kerala meeting elections from Thrissur, however he completed third with 40,457 votes, behind LDF’s P. Balachandran (44,263 votes) and Congress’s Padmaja Venugopal (43,317 votes).
The Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency consists of seven meeting segments — Guruvayur, Manalur, Ollur, Thrissur, Nattika, Irinjalakuda, and Puthukkad.
In response to the 2011 census, Thrissur district has a 58.42 % Hindu inhabitants adopted by 24.27 % Christians and 17.07 % Muslims.
Amongst Hindus, the influential Nair (Normal Class) group — to which Gopi belongs — and the Ezhavas (OBC) reportedly represent the most important populations, whereas Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities make up practically 11 % of the inhabitants.
Gopi has been a relentless presence within the constituency for the reason that final meeting polls. In October 2023, for instance, he led a foot march there protesting the alleged corruption on the CPI (M)-controlled Karuvannur Service Co-operative Financial institution.
Gopi’s reputation and controversies
The 12 months was 2020. A snippet from the favored TV programme Ningalkum Aakam Kodeeswaran (regional model of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’) went viral on social media.
Within the video, the contestant spoke about how her husband and in-laws had abused her for dowry. After listening to the story, the host, Gopi mentioned, “My heart aches thinking about parents who have daughters.”
Gopi added that he belonged to a household of 4 sons who determined to not ask for dowry. “What will men do if women decide to not marry and be independent? Yes, I am angry. I do have two daughters. Listen to this before you approach them for marriage. Or else they will live alone,” he added.
This was one of many many cases the place Gopi expressed his views on social points and earned reward from the general public. He was additionally recognized for lending serving to fingers to many individuals in want even earlier than he turned a politician.
In 2018, Gopi had given Rs 3 lakh to Viji, spouse of Sanal Kumar, who was allegedly murdered by a police officer, in keeping with media experiences.
Nevertheless, the actor-politician has additionally been within the limelight for a number of controversies.
Within the run-up to the 2019 polls, Gopi was additionally issued a discover by the then Thrissur collector and district election officer T.V. Anupama for allegedly violating the Mannequin Code of Conduct by invoking the Sabarimala controversy to attraction to non secular sentiments for votes.
At a marketing campaign assembly within the district, Gopi had reportedly mentioned, “If my Ayyan (the deity Ayyappan)… our Ayyan… if that Ayyan is my emotion, the brutal government will get a befitting reply this election. The Ayyappan devotees across India will turn it into a wave.”
In April 2022, a video of the BJP chief sitting in his automotive and handing over kaineetam (cash given as a part of the Vishu pageant) to ladies went viral. The ladies have been seen touching his toes after receiving the cash.
He additionally held numerous Vishu programmes the identical 12 months in Thrissur and gave Rs 1,000 to the priest of Thrissur Vadakkunnathan Temple. Later, the Cochin Devaswom Board reportedly issued an announcement barring temple monks from accepting cash.
In November 2023, Gopi was summoned by the Kerala Police in a criticism by a girl journalist alleging misbehaviour.
Additionally Learn: Pinarayi Vijayan’s Nava Kerala Sadas— a travelling circus masquerading as outreach
Wooing Christian voters?
In response to Kurian, the BJP has been utilizing its organisational power and Gopi’s affect as a philanthropist in Thrissur for years now.
He in contrast Gopi’s steady makes an attempt within the constituency to these of Union minister Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi on Congress’s turf, Amethi, in 2019 after an unsuccessful run in 2014.
“The BJP’s aim in Thrissur will be to win rather than just show itself to be a strong competitor in the upcoming polls,” he mentioned.
The political science professor additionally highlighted Gopi’s visits to an area church in Thrissur, which in keeping with him, “signify his attempts to woo the Christian community”.
Two days earlier than his daughter’s wedding ceremony, Gopi and his household had visited Lourdes Church in Thrissur and provided a gold crown to the effigy of the Virgin Mary. “He chose to go to the church in Thrissur only. It clearly shows that the act was part of vote bank politics,” Kurian mentioned.
Not solely Kurian, Gopi’s efforts have been seen as an try to bridge the hole between the BJP and the Christian group by others as properly. Thrissur’s sitting MP, T.N. Prathapan, was one of many first to react to Gopi’s transfer, and reportedly mentioned the BJP couldn’t wash away its “sin” in Manipur — referring to the inter-ethnic violence within the BJP-ruled state — by donating a gold crown.
When requested concerning the Manipur concern, Gopi had in November reportedly mentioned, “Forget Manipur. There are men out there in Manipur and UP to handle the issue.”
Shortly after this, the Thrissur Archdiocese, in its mouthpiece Catholicasabha, lashed out on the actor for his remarks in an article headlined ‘Will not forget Manipur’, and mentioned, “The country will not forget the violence in the northeastern state as they head to the Lok Sabha polls.”
The article claimed there was a transfer to cowl up the violence forward of the elections and the social gathering that needed to retain energy on the Centre was behind it. Nevertheless, media experiences later quoted the archdiocese’s spokesperson as saying the article didn’t replicate its official view.
Terming Gopi’s latest actions within the constituency an “election show”, the Congress’s Sreekumar mentioned that although he’s revered as an actor in Kerala, Gopi doesn’t have acceptance within the district as a politician.
He added that the BJP might safe the votes it did as a result of Gopi was the candidate. “Thrissur is a secular constituency with no relevance for the BJP’s politics.”
In response to him, Modi attending the marriage “is also part of the party’s strategy to use Gopi’s influence in its full capacity”.
For Kurian, the BJP is fielding Gopi once more as a result of there was a rise in its vote share. “Thrissur is the only constituency that the party can hope to win after Thiruvananthapuram, where the party won its lone assembly seat in Kerala’s history in 2016 with its senior leader O. Rajagopal,” he added.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
Additionally Learn:BJP is wooing Christians in Kerala, however its ticket to energy is to make sure Congress-led UDF’s defeat in 2026