Thrissur Mayor M K Varghese’s positive remarks about Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Tourism Suresh Gopi have led to fissures in the LDF in Kerala. The CPI has openly called for Varghese’s resignation as Mayor, while the CPI-M remains tight-lipped.
CPI Thrissur District Secretary KK Valsaraj on Monday sought the resignation of Mayor Varghese for openly supporting Union Minister Suresh Gopi.
Speaking to media persons in Thrissur, Valsaraj said that the Mayor had crossed the limits in his continued support of Suresh Gopi and the BJP politics.
Varghese at a function in Ayyanthole the other day said he was aware that Gopi had several major schemes for development of Thrissur and Kerala in mind, and hoped that those schemes would be implemented.
The Mayor also stated that it was his responsibility as the people’s representative to support an MP or Minister, regardless of their politics, for the sake of development.
After Suresh Gopi won the Lok Sabha seat in Thrissur, the CPI came out against the Mayor, alleging that his open support for Gopi was one of the factors that led to the defeat of its candidate VS Sunilkumar in Thrissur.
A Congress rebel Varghese became the Mayor of Thrissur with the backing of the CPI-M-led LDF.