Actor-politician and NDA candidate for Thrissur Suresh Gopi has said that he has sought leave for two years from the BJP. He said he sought the political hiatus to enable to him act in films of his choice.
However, he added that he would take up any position if the party directs him to. He was responding to queries about whether he would become a Union minister if he won the Lok Sabha election from Thrissur.

“I have requested the party that I should be allowed to do my work till six months before the next assembly elections. I want to be the last one to be considered for becoming a minister,” he said. “I have also requested the party that ministers of the five important ministries should listen to Kerala's demands,” he said. He added that he need not become a minister to serve his constituency.

“Following a post-poll analysis, the party's confidence (of his victory) has doubled,” Suresh Gopi said. He claimed he had also reached the same conclusion during his campaign. “I told the voters what I would do once I win. Hopefully, they would have thought through it and acted accordingly. That is why I stayed away from the constituency on the silent campaign day. Some even ridiculed that too,” the NDA candidate said.

“BJP has added some votes. Those who did not vote in the past five elections were identified and added to the voters' list. We also urged them to vote,” Suresh Gopi said when the media sought his response over complaints of bogus voting.