Lok Sabha Polls: Setback for Congress, ex-Kerala CM Karunakaran’s daughter Padmaja set to join BJP

There is more setback for Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Popular Congress leader and daughter of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, Padmaja Venugopal, said she would join the BJP. Padmaja, 64, met the BJP central leadership, including Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday. 

“The Congress leadership created a situation forcing me to take such a decision,” Padmaja told reporters. “In the elections (2021 Assembly polls, when she contested from Thrissur), the Congress defeated me. I know who worked against me. I complained about it to the party but no action was taken," Padmaja told media persons in Delhi.

She had contested from the Thrissur constituency during the last Assembly election and lost to the left front.

Padmaja told the media in Delhi that she was joining BJP without any condition. “They haven’t asked me to contest the elections. I haven’t demanded a Rajya Sabha seat," she said, adding that her complaint to Congress leaders went unheard. “Many leaders did not pick up my calls,” she said.

A year ago, former Kerala CM A K Antony’s son, Anil Antony,  joined the BJP.

The decision came as a shock to the Congress as Padmaja participated in party rallies in Thrissur three days ago. Thrissur is one of the constituencies in Kerala where the BJP has some hope in the parliamentary polls. Padmaja even shared posts of the party on her social media accounts on Wednesday. 

On Wednesday, there were speculations after Padmaja deleted a Facebook post dismissing reports suggesting her switching sides. Initially, Padmaja said that it was merely a joke but later removed the post.

Meanwhile, her brother and party leader MP K Muraleedharan on Thursday said that her decision was a betrayal and would not benefit the BJP even an ounce.

He said that their father had never compromised with communalism and for a member of his family to join the BJP was a sad outcome as far as people with a secular mindset were concerned.

"However, taking Padmaja will not benefit the BJP even an ounce. It will also not affect our determination to fight. We will push the BJP to third spot everywhere, including in seats where they hope to win. This betrayal would be answered through the EVMs," the Congress MP said.