KOCHI/THRISSUR: It’s election season, and celebrity endorsements are the norm rather than the exception. However, their attempts at such an endorsement and celebrity ‘photo opportunity’ have backfired on the Left and NDA candidates in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, much to their embarrassment.
CPI candidate V S Sunil Kumar and BJP’s Suresh Gopi were at the receiving end of their own over-enthusiasm, following a snub by the celebrities. Sunil Kumar was forced to delete a photograph he posted on his social media pages with Tovino Thomas after the actor cautioned candidates against using his image as he is the ambassador of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Kerala. Meanwhile, a prominent doctor who tried to arrange a meeting of Suresh Gopi with Kalamandalam Gopi was reportedly rebuffed by the Kathakali maestro himself.
The photo posted by Sunil Kumar showed him standing with Tovino, with the caption extolling them as the ‘shining stars of Thrissur’, along with CPI’s symbol and the request urging voters to help the candidate win.
Tovino took to social media to issue a statement after Sunil Kumar posted the photo.
Did not know that Tovino is SVEEP’s brand ambassador, says Sunil Kumar
“I wish to hereby convey that I’m the ambassador for Kerala for the ECI’s Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme and so it is against the law to use my photo, or a photo including me for any kind of election campaigning. In case somebody is using it, I wish to clarify that it is without my knowledge or consent. Wishing everyone a fair election experience,” Tovino wrote on his FB page after Sunil Kumar posted the photo.
After deleting the post, the former agriculture minister explained that he was unaware that Tovino was SVEEP’s brand ambassador. He said the photograph was taken during his visit to Pulikunnam where the actor was shooting for a film.
Earlier, the Congress and BJP had ridiculed and opposed CPI’s action of using Tovino’s pictures on the election posters. The NDA took a step further and complained to the ECI against Sunil Kumar.
Meanwhile, Raghu Gurukripa, son of Kalamandalam Gopi, alleged that a prominent doctor in Thrissur called him and tried to influence his father on behalf of Suresh Gopi.
The doctor had said Gopi Asan should bless Suresh Gopi and the actor would visit Asan at his residence.
When Raghu denied them permission saying no BJP or Congress workers should approach his father as part of their election campaign, the doctor asked him whether his father doesn’t want to be honoured with Padma Bhushan. Raghu being a follower of the LDF, has been campaigning for Sunil Kumar. Hence, he denied the doctor permission to bring Suresh Gopi to visit his father at his residence. According to Raghu, his father himself had denied permission for the meeting.
Raghu, however, deleted the post on Monday and wrote on Facebook that he did not want people to exploit his father for their own profit. Raghu also urged people not to discuss the matter further.
Responding to the row, Suresh Gopi said he didn’t appoint anyone to ask permission to meet Gopi Asan. “It is the BJP district president who takes care of the list of prominent people who I should meet as a candidate. When we have the campaign visits in each assembly constituency, we meet people there and seek blessings,” he said.
Suresh Gopi added that he had not read Raghu’s post on Facebook. He also said that if the party asked, he would meet Gopi Asan. “I have met him several times, and even had the opportunity to release a documentary on him,” Suresh Gopi said.