‘Go to EC or courts’: BJP Kerala chief slams allegations on Suresh Gopi
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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday said that any alleged irregularities in a candidate’s election should be taken up with the Election Commission or the courts, “instead of spreading lies to fool and provoke the public.”
Chandrasekhar’s remarks came after Congress and CPI accused Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi of submitting a false declaration during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and claimed that his victory from Thrissur constituency was aided by manipulation of the voter list.
The Congress had earlier alleged that the Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism provided a false declaration to get included in the Thrissur Lok Sabha voters’ list. The 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 alleged on Monday that there was clear manipulation in the electoral roll, which facilitated Gopi’s victory in Thrissur. Gopi had won the seat by a significant margin of over 74,000 votes, defeating both Kumar and Congress candidate K Muraleedharan in a closely fought three-cornered contest.
Addressing the allegations on Wednesday, Chandrasekhar questioned their timing, pointing out that the claims were being raised more than a year and a half after the election. He said such matters should be addressed through formal complaints or election petitions before the Election Commission or the courts.
“They do not do that. Instead, they try to provoke the public by spreading lies or divert attention through propaganda. It is all a show,” he said, alleging that the alleged drama was being orchestrated by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan ahead of elections.
Meanwhile, Gopi reached Thrissur on Wednesday and visited a BJP worker injured in a protest on Tuesday. After arriving at Thrissur railway station, he did not respond to reporters’ questions regarding the allegations. At the hospital, he only said, “Thanks for helping so much,” without clarifying to whom he was referring.
On Tuesday, General Education Minister V Sivankutty had urged the Election Commission of India to conduct a re-election in Thrissur following reports of widespread voter list manipulation.
With PTI inputs
