No BJP workers, no show: Suresh Gopi’s Amrit Bharat entry plan flops at Payyanur

Payyanur: In a bizarre incident, not a single BJP worker or local leader turned up at Payyanur railway station to receive Union Minister Suresh Gopi when he arrived to mark the maiden stop of the Amrit Bharat Express to Mangaluru, travelling on the same train.

The minister, who spent six minutes on the platform waiting in vain for BJP members, expressed his displeasure over the development, which occurred at 1.44 am on Wednesday, before continuing his journey.

In a related development, the Amrit Bharat Express was halted at Thalassery railway station for an hour to enable Suresh Gopi to board the train and travel from Kannur to Kanhangad.

A week ago, railway authorities sanctioned stops at Payyanur, Nileshwaram and Kanhangad for the Nagercoil–Mangaluru–Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express. While the BJP claimed the decision followed Suresh Gopi’s intervention, the Congress said pressure exerted by its MPs had forced the Railways to act.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders in Payyanur, Nileshwaram and Kanhangad were informed that Suresh Gopi would be travelling on the Amrit Bharat Express during its first stop at these stations. Based on this, they began preparations to organise receptions on the platforms to felicitate the minister.

According to the information received, Suresh Gopi was scheduled to board the Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express on Tuesday evening and alight at Kannur by 10.36 pm. From there, he was to take the Amrit Bharat Express at 12.50 am on Wednesday, reaching Payyanur at 1.19 am, Nileshwaram at 1.37 am and Kanhangad at 1.49 am. He was expected to disembark at Kanhangad and travel by road to the Taj hotel in Bekal, where his stay had been arranged.

However, the Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express was delayed by over two hours on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Nagercoil–Mangaluru Amrit Bharat Express reached Thalassery railway station at 11.50 pm. At that time, the Vande Bharat Express was trailing behind and had reached only Kozhikode, about 64 km away.

By then, BJP workers had gathered at Payyanur railway station and, realising that the Vande Bharat was running late, wondered how Suresh Gopi would board the Amrit Bharat Express. Despite contacting senior BJP leaders and railway authorities, they failed to obtain precise information. As a result, local leaders and workers left the station after waiting until midnight.

At the same time, the Railways held the Amrit Bharat Express at Thalassery for an hour to allow the Vande Bharat Express, in which Suresh Gopi was travelling, to overtake it. By 12.51 am, the Vande Bharat Express carrying the minister reached Kannur, followed by the Amrit Bharat Express at 1.09 am. Suresh Gopi then boarded the Amrit Bharat Express from Kannur and reached Payyanur at 1.44 am, expecting a reception on the platform. However, he did not find a single BJP member waiting to receive him.