X

Malyalam superstar Suresh Gopi formalises his back-door entry in politics

After saying no to joining BJP several times, Gopi formally entered the party today

It’s official. Malayam superstar Suresh Gopi has finally joined BJP. The actor known for doing hard-hitting films and playing the tough cop in Malyalam movies has always been close to the party. In fact during the Kerala Assembly elections earlier this year, he had extensively campaigned for the BJP.

A special chopper was designated for him. He had also shared dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah during the campaigning.

Earlier too there were reports of Gopi joining the BJP, which the actor had dismissed as rumours. The party was keen on fielding him from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency but he refrained from contesting elections and instead focused on campaigning. Cricketer Sreesanth unsuccessfully contested from the same constituency. Later, Gopi was made a Rajya Sabha member by the BJP in April.

BJP for the first time won an assembly seat in the southern state. It also did spectacularly well by bagging 15 per cent of the vote share.

In 1998, he won the National Award in the best actor category for his role in ‘Kaliyattam’. Usually, in Malayam films he plays the role of honest cops who acts against corrupt politicians. When he had accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination many had criticised him for taking the back-door entry into politics instead of contesting elections. In fact, a clip from one of his movie where he is chiding a politician for not contesting elections instead entering politics through Rajya Sabha had gone viral.

However, with Gopi’s official entry into the party, he has finally formalised a much delayed back-door entry into the party.