Padmaja Venugopal, who recently resigned from the grand old party, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday in New Delhi, just ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Venugopal, formerly the KPCC general secretary and daughter of the late former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader K Karunakaran, made the transition after discussions with the BJP's national leadership in the capital.
Reportedly feeling sidelined by the Congress party leadership, Venugopal's decision to switch allegiances follows rumors of her potential move to the BJP, which she initially denied via social media. However, she later retracted her denial and updated her Facebook bio to reflect her new political affiliation as an "Indian Politician from Kerala."
Padmaja Venugopal, facing successive electoral defeats in the Thrissur constituency, including the 2004 Lok Sabha election from Mukundapuram, explored alternative options following her disillusionment with the Congress. The delayed construction of K. Karunakaran's memorial by the Congress leadership reportedly added to her grievances.
Congress leader and MP K Muraleedharan expressed disappointment over his sister's decision, labeling it as deceitful and unacceptable. He refuted claims of neglect within the Congress, emphasizing that Padmaja was always given due consideration. However, Muraleedharan asserted that he no longer considers Padmaja as his sister following her move to the BJP.
"By taking Padmaja, BJP will not get the benefit, and the party will fall to the third position even in the constituency, which is expected to get the first position," Muraleedharan stated. Despite facing challenges within the party, he underscored his decision to remain with the Congress, drawing attention to the party's values during Karunakaran's final rites.
In the past 11 months, the Congress has witnessed two high-profile defections to the BJP, raising concerns within the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and casting doubt on the leadership's ability to unite ahead of the crucial general elections. Anil K. Antony, son of veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony and a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), previously defected to the BJP in April 2023 and is currently contesting for the Lok Sabha seat of Pathanamthitta on the BJP ticket.