What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Padmaja Venugopal, senior Congress leader and daughter of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party
NEW DELHI: Speculations that were rife a day ago now become a reality with Padmaja Venugopal, senior Congress leader and daughter of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She is expected to join the saffron party in New Delhi.
The move is widely seen as a major setback for the Congress Party and a shot in the arm for the BJP in Kerala. Earlier, Anil Antony, son of former CM AK Antony had joined the BJP and is currently the party candidate from Pathanamthitta constituency.
Padmaja, hailing from Thrissur has always been in the forefront of the Congress party when it comes to organizational matters and decision making. Sources say that she met the BJP central leadership, including Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday.
ALSO READ: Amarnath Ghosh’s body still in Morgue in US; friends call for justice
There are indications she will receive party membership at the BJP headquarters. Sources reveal that the decision to give a Rajya Sabha seat to the Muslim League is the immediate provocation for Padmaja to leave the Congress camp. Moreover, she has been allegedly sidelined in the party’s outreach program ‘Samaragni’ recently.
After reports indicated she might join the BJP camp, Padmaja came out with a Facebook post earlier in the day rubbishing such reports. But late on Wednesday, she removed the post. The development has caught the Congress state leadership unawares.
Senior Congress leader and Padmaja’s elder brother K Muralidharan slammed the decision to join the BJP and termed it ‘unfortunate’ and ‘shocking’. “It is extremely unfortunate that she has planned to join the BJP. Our father K Karunakaran has fought his entire life for the Congress party in Kerala. He has always stood against the BJP.
ALSO READ: Kerala awards 95.24 crore contract for biomining legacy dumpsites
Its unbelievable as how a person who saw the political growth of Karunakaran take such a decision. BJP will not gain anything over this and Padmaja has cheated the party and the decision that has come during the elections has literally shocked us all”, said K Muralidharan, the Congress MP from Vadakara.
Currently serving as KPCC’s political affairs committee member, Padmaja had unsuccessfully contested from Mukunda Puram in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls and from Thrissur in the 2016 and 2021 assembly polls.
