Suresh Gopi leaves for New Delhi ahead of swearing in of PM, cabinet ministers

Thiruvananthapuram: Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi and his council of ministers, the lone BJP MP from Kerala, Suresh Gopi, on Sunday left for New Delhi with his family.

Reacting to queries from reporters while rushing to the Thiruvananthapuram international airport, Gopi said that Modi has asked him to reach the national capital immediately.

The actor-cum-politician, who achieved a historic win for the BJP in Kerala by taking the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, said he presently has no clue about what role he will be given in the new NDA government.

That decision has been taken by the PM, he said.

"I am obeying my Prime Minister and my Home Minister -- my national leaders." The actor also said that "celebrations have to go on".

"It is the people's celebration. So, there cannot be any hindrance or variation of thought," the Lok Sabha MP added.

On Thursday, Gopi had said that he does not want to be a minister and all he wants is that the ministries implement the projects he proposes for the welfare of the people of Kerala.

On Sunday, he also reiterated what he had said earlier -- he would work as an MP for Kerala and the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu as well.

Gopi defeated CPI leader V S Sunilkumar in an exciting fight. While Gopi garnered a total of 4,12,338 votes, Sunil Kumar had to make do with 3,37,652 votes, according to the EC figures.

Congress's senior leader K Muraleedharan settled in the third position with 3,28,124 votes, it said.

The result came as a rude shock for the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-headed UDF, which even till the last minute rubbished the various exit polls that predicted victory for Gopi and the chances of the lotus blooming in the state.