Kannur: BJP leader and newly appointed Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum, Suresh Gopi, on Wednesday, visited the family members of CPM veteran and former Kerala Chief Minister, the late E K Nayanar. Gopi, returning to Kerala for the first time after his appointment, visited various temples in the northern district to offer prayers.
Later, he visited Nayanar's home in Kalliasseri, where he was welcomed by the late veteran's wife, Sarada and other family members. Gopi shared greetings and exchanged gifts. In return, Sarada gave him a book she had written about her late husband. The two posed for photos at the request of media persons. Sarada later assured the media that there was no political motive behind the union minister's visit.

She said they had an intimate relationship with Gopi and his family for years, and he had visited the home several times before as well. On many occasions, Gopi had recalled his close relationship with Nayanar, one of the most popular leaders of the Marxist party. Later in the day, the union minister visited eminent writer T Padmanabhan at his home in the district. He sought the blessings of the nonagenarian leader and held discussions with him for some time. The writer gifted him books. Padmanabhan later told reporters that Gopi clearly knows that he is not a BJP sympathiser but has been maintaining a good relationship with him for years.

"Human relationships are beyond politics. Suresh Gopi is capable. He has a noble mind also," the writer said, adding that both tourism and petroleum are good portfolios and he could contribute well to the development of the state. Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, opening an account for the BJP in Kerala.
Thrissur had witnessed a three-way contest for the Lok Sabha polls, with major candidates from the Congress, BJP, and CPI locked in a neck-and-neck battle. Gopi had taken on the UDF candidate, senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan, and Left leader and former Kerala minister, CPI's Sunil Kumar, in Thrissur this time, and won from the constituency.
(With PTI Inputs)