Kannur (Kerala) | Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Sunday expressed his desire to step down from his ministerial post and recommended BJP’s newly elected Rajya Sabha member C Sadanandan Master as his replacement in the central cabinet.

Addressing party workers at a function here, which was also attended by Sadanandan, Gopi said the senior leader’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha marked a significant breakthrough in the politics of northern Kannur district.

"I am saying here with sincerity that Sadanandan Master should be made a (union) minister after removing me. I believe that it will become a new chapter in the political history of Kerala," he said.

Gopi, serving as union minister of state for petroleum and tourism, added that he prays that Sadanandan's MP office here will soon be upgraded to a ministerial office.

The actor-turned-politician said he was among the youngest BJP members in the state, having joined the party only in October 2016.

He noted that the party might have made him a Union minister in recognition of the mandate given by the people during the Lok Sabha polls.

"I never wanted to be a minister by quitting my film career," Gopi said, adding that his income has significantly decreased in recent times.

Sadanandan Master, a senior leader of the saffron party from Kannur district, is a survivor of political violence. He lost both his legs during an alleged attack by CPI(M) workers in 1994.