In a significant development in Kerala’s political arena, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi, publicly expressed his desire to resign from his ministerial position on Sunday. During an event in Kannur, he put forward a recommendation for Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recently elected Rajya Sabha member, C. Sadanandan, to take his place.
Addressing party workers, with Mr. Sadanandan also present, Gopi highlighted Sadanandan’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha as a major political milestone for the Kannur district. “I am genuinely stating that Mr. Sadanandan should become a Union Minister in my stead. I believe this would usher in a new chapter in Kerala’s political history,” Gopi stated.
The actor-turned-politician further expressed his hope that Sadanandan’s MP office in Kannur would soon be elevated to a ministerial office.
Gopi, who joined the BJP in October 2016, noted that he is among the younger party members in the state. He suggested that his appointment as Union Minister might have been in recognition of the public mandate received during the recent Lok Sabha elections. “I never intended to become a Minister by sacrificing my film career,” he added, mentioning a recent decline in his personal income.
C. Sadanandan, a veteran BJP leader from Kannur, tragically lost both his legs in an alleged attack by CPI(M) workers back in 1994.