No change of guard in BJP's Kerala unit, says K Surendran

Kerala BJP president, K Surendran, on Monday dismissed reports that there would be a change of guard in the party unit of the southern state. He also dismissed as "fake news" the reports about actor-politician Suresh Gopi, who won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, allegedly expressing displeasure over not providing him with a Cabinet or MoS (Independent) charge in the Narendra Modi-led government.

Gopi took oath as the Minister of State in the NDA government on Sunday.

Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Surendran mocked the Kerala media and said a section of journalists was spreading fake news against the BJP state unit.


He claimed that the media had spread news that the BJP state unit was planning to defeat Gopi from the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat.

"Initially, you (the media) alleged that the Kerala BJP unit had planned to avoid Suresh Gopi by making him the chairman of the Satyajit Ray Film Institute. You claimed that Suresh Gopi would not contest from Thrissur. When the election was announced, the media and certain so-called observers claimed that the state BJP unit was trying to defeat Suresh Gopi," Surendran said.

Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 74,686 votes.

Surendran said that people have dismissed fake news.

"A section of the media also claimed that I would be resigning from the post of state chief. I will hand over the charge to you (the media) in the evening. Is that fine?" he asked.

Surendran said the BJP Kerala unit has two union ministers and has an increased vote share of 20 per cent.

"We have established ourselves as a political power, but still, you (the media) are trying to attack us," the BJP state chief said.

Apart from Gopi, BJP leader George Kurain also took oath as the Minister of State in the third NDA government.