Thrissur, Aug 13 Union Minister of State and BJP MP from Thrissur, Suresh Gopi, received a rousing welcome from party supporters upon his arrival at Thrissur railway station on Wednesday, even as allegations of voter list irregularities continue to swirl around him.
Despite repeated attempts by the media to elicit a response, the actor-turned-politician maintained silence and left the station in his official vehicle.
This marks his first visit to the constituency since July 17, a period during which a complaint had even been filed with the local police claiming he was "missing".
Suresh Gopi arrived in Thiruvananthapuram from Delhi at around 2.30 a.m. on Wednesday and spent a short time at his residence before boarding the Vande Bharat Express at 5.15 a.m. for Thrissur.
Media efforts to secure his comments on the voter list controversy - raised by both the CPI(M)-led Left and the Congress-led UDF - proved unsuccessful at both the airport and the railway station.
His first stop in Thrissur was Ashwini Hospital, where several BJP workers are undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in a clash with police on Tuesday night.
"Thanks for the help that you give," said the MoS with folded hands as he walked out of the hospital.
The violence erupted when police stopped a BJP march towards the CPI(M) office.
The BJP march was in retaliation for an earlier incident in which CPI(M) workers allegedly poured black oil on the MP's office name board and hung a garland of slippers on it.
Following his hospital visit, the MP was scheduled to inspect his vandalised office.
The BJP has announced statewide protests, dismissing allegations about the voter list as politically motivated.
State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of failing to deliver in its near-decade-long rule and of attempting to divert attention ahead of elections.
"There is a defined process to address discrepancies in the voter list, either through the courts or the Election Commission," Chandrasekhar said. "Instead, lies are being spread to mislead the public," he said.
The controversy has heightened political tensions in Thrissur, with both sides exchanging accusations as the election season approaches.
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