Suresh Gopi, the first BJP Lok Sabha member from Kerala, said he was ready to take up his ministerial assignments with all seriousness like a UKG student going to school for the first time. When the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of Tourism were assigned to him, Gopi commented that his immediate task was to get a good grasp of both portfolios before preparing a detailed roadmap regarding the path ahead.
Draped in the traditional Kerala Dhothi, Gopi assumed office amidst a warm reception led by his senior counterpart, Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Emphasizing the need for patience, he asserted, “I am a UKG student as far these ministers are concerned. Please allow me some time to study both the ministers,” said Gopi
Gopi conveyed his commitment to collaboratively work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his senior colleagues to chart a clear path forward for both ministries, ensuring a robust vision guides their progress. Grateful for the support of the people of Thrissur, his constituency, he pledged to serve them diligently.
“I will study my ministries in detail and with the help of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and my senior minister, we will come up with a concrete framework so that both the ministries can move forward with a proper vision,” the new minister said, who also thanked the people of Thrissur after taking over.
Acknowledging the possibility of oil reserves in his home district of Kollam, Gopi said he had had discussions with officials of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in the same regard. "We will look deep into the details of oil in Kollam and then decide how to go about it," he said.
He had to fight a tough electoral battle but Gopi won the fight for Thrissur hands down, with the second runner, Congress' K. Muraleedharan, and CPI leader V.S. Sunil Kumar biting the dust by an emphatic margin of over 72,000 votes.
