Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, January 17, reached Guruvayur temple in Kerala to attend the wedding of actor and BJP leader Suresh Gopi’s daughter Bhagya Suresh. He arrived in Guruvayur at 7.30 am on Wednesday from Kochi and offered prayers at the temple before attending the wedding.
The event was also attended by actors from the film industry such as Mohanlal, Mammootty and BJP's Khushbu Sundar. The Guruvayur temple in Kerala is one of the most ancient temples in Kerala, dedicated to Lord Krishna, a Hindu deity. He spent almost half an hour at the temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi kick-started his trip to Kerala with a rally at Kochi in the night hours of Wednesday, January 17. He was received at Kochi airport by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Minister of State V Muraleedharan among others. The roadshow covered a distance of 1.25 km, from the KPCC junction to the government guest house. BJP state president K Surendran accompanied the Prime Minister in the open-vehicle that was painted in saffron.
With 2024 Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the Prime Minister’s two-day visit has also been observed as a political campaign to establish the saffron party’s base in the state. Earlier in January, PM Modi visited Thrissur in Kerala and took part in a mega roadshow. Gopi was a nominated member of Rajya Sabha whose term ended in April, 2022. He also contested in 2019 parliament election from Thrissur constituency on BJP ticket and fought two years later but lost both the elections. Suresh Gopi, who is likely to be fielded again in the district, had participated in the event. According to reports, the party is aiming to win five to six Lok Sabha seats that the central leadership has identified. Special campaigns are also underway for the constituencies.
PM Narendra Modi will also inaugurate several maritime projects estimated at a cost of over Rs 4,000 crore on Wednesday. Among the projects to be unveiled are the New Dry Dock (NDD) and the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF), both of which are under the purview of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said, “CSL is playing a crucial role in India’s attempt to become a global player of repute in the maritime sector. As PM Modi inaugurates and dedicates these key projects, CSL is poised to double its turnover within next four years to Rs 7,000 crores.”
(With Inputs from IANS)