Malayalam actor-politician Suresh Gopi, BJP’s first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, has been appointed as the Minister of State (MoS) for Tourism and Culture in the NDA Cabinet 3.0. Gopi will serve under Senior Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who oversees both the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In response to media inquiries about whether he chose the MoS post due to his film commitments, the 65-year-old leader clarified, "Nothing was demanded. I had told them that I don't want this. I feel that I will be relieved without delay." Despite this, Gopi expressed pride in representing Kerala in the Modi government. His recent comments, expressing a desire to focus on his film career, have sparked speculation about his future role in the government.
George Kurian and Suresh Gopi are the two leaders from Kerala who will be part of the third NDA government under Prime Minister Modi.
Gopi achieved a historic win for the BJP in Thrissur, defeating CPI's VS Sunil Kumar and Congress leader K Muraleedharan. Gopi secured 4,12,338 votes, while Kumar received 3,37,652 votes, and Muraleedharan garnered 3,28,124 votes. In the previous election, TN Prathapan of Congress had won from Thrissur, defeating Rajaji Mathew Thomas of CPI by a margin of 93,633 votes. Prathapan, who did not contest this election, had polled 415,089 votes, while Gopi managed 2,93,822 votes in 2019.
Suresh Gopi’s new ministerial role marks a significant milestone in his political career, highlighting his contribution to the BJP's growing influence in Kerala.
