THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Suresh Gopi's journey to his swearing-in ceremony was nothing short of a suspense thriller. After receiving a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gopi flew from the capital to Delhi yesterday.

Following his victory, Suresh Gopi met with Modi in Delhi and secured a seat in the third Modi cabinet. During the meeting, it was communicated that the official notification would follow. He had returned to the capital from Delhi on Saturday to complete a darshan at the Padmanabhaswamy temple. It was reported that he would leave the capital early Sunday morning. Anticipating his departure, media personnel gathered at his house in Shastamangalam and at the airport from the early hours. He had blocked three tickets on the 6:10 am Air India flight.

When the official notification did not arrive by the morning, Suresh Gopi did not leave. This sparked rumours on various channels suggesting that he might not be appointed a minister in the first phase. Media attention remained focused on his house in Shastamangalam. At around 10 am, Modi's call came through, followed by a notification from Delhi confirming three tickets on the Vistara flight to Bengaluru at 12:30 pm.

At 11:10 am, Suresh Gopi left home with his wife, Radhika and his mother. He briefly addressed the media before departing and again at the airport. He then left for Delhi on a chartered flight from Bengaluru, with his children traveling from Kochi to join him in Delhi.

Before leaving for the airport, Suresh Gopi spoke to the media, expressing his uncertainty about the situation and his readiness to follow Modi's directives. He stated, "I don't know anything, everything is as he (Narendra Modi) says. Even if I remain as an MP, I will work for Kerala and Tamil Nadu." At the airport, he reiterated his obedience to the Prime Minister's call and mentioned his commitment to the people of Thrissur and Kerala. "The Prime Minister said that I should be responsible to the people of Thrissur and Kerala," Suresh Gopi added.