THRISSUR: In a blistering attack on the Congress party, Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, who recently joined the BJP, revealed that Congress leaders had conspired against her during her candidacy in the state assembly elections under the Congress ticket. These remarks surfaced amidst her brother, Vadakara MP K. Muralidharan’s campaign in the Thrissur constituency.
Speaking to The New Indian, Padmaja Venugopal alleged that leaders from Thrissur had orchestrated her defeat in the 2016 and 2021 assembly elections.
“I faced opposition from certain Congress leaders, whom I won’t name now, who conspired to ensure my defeat,” she said to The New Indian. Asked about K. Muralidharan’s prospects in the Thrissur constituency, she predicted his loss and actor Suresh Gopi’s victory. “I question Congress’s decision to field him in Thrissur; he would have had better chances in Vadakara. I am confident Suresh Gopi will emerge victorious,” she remarked.
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During interactions with the media in Thrissur, Padmaja vehemently countered K. Muralidharan’s remarks, where he labeled her as disengaged from party affairs and a ‘work-from-home’ politician. “He has switched parties thrice, including joining the NCP.
What authority does he have to advise me? His statements keep changing,” she retorted. Padmaja also recounted her negative encounters within Congress, highlighting instances where leaders failed to reimburse campaign funds borrowed from her, prompting her to escalate the matter to the central leadership.
“During the 2021 assembly elections, DCC president Vincent borrowed Rs 22 lakh from me for Priyanka Gandhi’s campaign in Thrissur. Despite borrowing, they sidelined me during the campaign, denying me the opportunity to campaign alongside Priyanka Gandhi. Later, I learned that funds had already been allocated by the KPCC. I complained with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,” she revealed during her media interaction in Thrissur.
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Padmaja Venugopal’s shift to the BJP has ignited a war of words between the BJP and Congress, with Congress leaders launching personal attacks against her. Thrissur braces for a contentious election campaign as Padmaja rallies support for BJP’s Suresh Gopi, challenging Congress’s K. Muralidharan and CPI’s Pannyan Raveendran.