MP: BJP wins municipal by-poll
As per the by-poll results announced on Friday, BJP candidate Jitu Rathore defeated Congress candidate Vikas Joshi by a margin of 4255 votes.
Hours after BJP’s Thrissur MP and Union minister of petroleum and tourism Suresh Gopi defended actor and CPI-M Kollam MLA Mukesh, who is facing sexual assault charges, the party’s Kerala president, K Surendran, asserted that it is the state president of the party, not the Union minister, who will declare the party’s stance on the issue.
Speaking to media persons here, Surendran said the BJP’s stance on the issue will be declared by the party’s state president and the state leadership.
The BJP state president made the statement a few hours after Suresh Gopi defended fellow actor Mukesh, criticising the media for sensationalising the assault allegations against Mukesh.
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When media persons asked Suresh Gopi about the allegations against Mukesh, he questioned whether the court had made any statements on the issue. “Are you the judiciary,” he asked reporters in Thrissur.
“The entire matter is before the court. The court has the wisdom to decide on it,” the Union minister said.
Disapproving Suresh Gopi’s stance, the BJP state president said that while the Union minister may have his own stance as an actor, the party has its own position on the issue.
“BJP demands the resignation of Mukesh as MLA. The party has staged protests in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram seeking his resignation. The BJP has no plans to withdraw from this stance. Mukesh is not eligible to continue as an MLA. He should resign,” Surendran said.
He also said that the BJP would not allow the government to hold a conclave with Mukesh as a participant, given the serious sexual assault allegations against him.
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