Kerala BJP rallies behind Suresh Gopi over allegations regarding his 2024 LS win

Thiruvananthapuram/Thrissur | The BJP's top leadership in Kerala on Wednesday rallied behind Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi as he faces mounting attacks from the Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-headed LDF over alleged irregularities in his 2024 Lok Sabha election victory from Thrissur.

State party president Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismissed the accusations -- including claims of a false declaration and voter list manipulation -- urging that any such complaints be taken to the Election Commission or courts rather than being used to "fool and provoke the public".

While Gopi visited his constituency in the midst of the controversy, he remained largely silent when approached by the media, leaving former state chief K Surendran to assert that the party, which ran the campaign, would respond on his behalf.

"There is no need for Suresh Gopi to respond to it," Surendran told reporters at Thrissur, adding that those who are aggrieved should approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) or the courts.

He also asked what the UDF and LDF were doing when the alleged voter list manipulation took place prior to the Thrissur LS polls.

"If the BJP were able to do it without their knowledge, they should hang themselves," he said.

The party also held a march to the Thrissur Police Commissioner's office in protest against the allegations concerning Gopi's LS poll win.

On the other hand, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, demanded a comprehensive probe into the issue.

He said that the ECI should be ready to carry out the probe and the state government should cooperate with it.

"Large scale irregularities occurred there (Thrissur). It was an organised crime," he alleged, while speaking to reporters in Thiruvanathapuram and claimed that it happened with the knowledge of the ECI.

Satheesan claimed that right after the LS polls, both the UDF and LDF had complained that around 60,000 to 80,000 voters were illegally included in the list, but the district administration said nothing can be done once the names are in the list.

"So this is not a new thing that we are raising. Rahul Gandhi highlighted the issue recently. It was discussed across the country and that is why what happened in Thrissur is being raised now," he said.

The opposition leader said that both the BJP and Gopi were obligated to respond to these allegations.

"If he (Gopi) is not responding, it means he has nothing to say in defence," he added.

Earlier in the day, Chandrasekhar questioned the veracity of the allegations by saying that these claims were being raised one-and-a-half year after Gopi won in the LS polls.

The BJP leader also said that such issues should be raised before the Election Commission or the courts by filing a complaint or election petition.

"They do not do that. Instead, they try to provoke the public by telling lies or try to divert people's attention by their propaganda. It is all a show," he claimed while speaking to reporters in the state capital.

He alleged that such dramas are being done by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan as elections approach.

Gopi reached Thrissur and met a BJP worker who was injured in a protest on Tuesday.

After arriving at Thrissur railway station, the minister did not respond to reporters' queries about the Congress and CPI allegations.

At the hospital, he only said, "Thanks for helping so much". It was not clear to whom he was referring to.

Gopi, who is also facing criticism over his silence regarding the recent arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh, visited the home of one of them at Angamaly in Ernakulam district.

The Congress, a day ago, alleged that the Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism submitted a false declaration to be included in the voters' list for the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency.

The grand old party has lodged a complaint with the police demanding registration of a criminal case against him.

Prior to that, CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar, on Monday, alleged that there was clear manipulation in the electoral roll, which facilitated Gopi's victory in the Thrissur constituency.

Gopi had won the Thrissur seat by a significant margin of over 74,000 votes, defeating Kumar and Congress candidate K Muraleedharan in a closely fought three-cornered contest.

On Tuesday, General Education Minister V Sivankutty urged the ECI to carry out a re-election in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, in the wake of reports of widespread voters' list manipulation.