Padmaja Venugopal joins BJP
In view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, BJP is busy strengthening its position in South India. Regarding this, BJP has also intensified its campaign in South India to win over leaders of other parties in its fold. At the same time, one by one senior Congress leaders are joining BJP. Meanwhile, late Congress leader and former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran’s daughter Padmaja Venugopal joined BJP in Delhi on Thursday. Padmaja took membership of BJP in the presence of former Union Minister and BJP’s national in-charge of Kerala affairs Prakash Javadekar and national secretary Arvind Menon and other leaders.
Expressed happiness by joining BJP
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi, Venugopal said she was very happy to join the BJP but was also a little stressed as she had been with the Congress for many years. “I left the party because I was not happy with the Congress for many years, especially after the last assembly elections in Kerala,” she said. Venugopal said he had met the Congress several times to discuss his grievances. Tried to contact the leadership, but was never given time. He said, “There should be a strong leadership in every party. There is no leadership in Congress. I respect Sonia ji a lot, but I could not meet her. They did not give time to meet.” Padmaja’s brother K. Muraleedharan is the Congress MP from Vadakara.
Contested assembly elections twice
Earlier, Anil Antony, son of former Kerala Chief Minister AK Antony, had joined BJP. Anil has been made the candidate from Pathanamthitta seat of Kerala for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He is also the national spokesperson of BJP. Padmaja had contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Mukundapuram (now Chalakudy), but had to face defeat. The late Karunakaran and son Muraleedharan left the Congress in 2004 and formed the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), but the party failed to make any impact. He returned to Congress in 2007. Padmaja is said to have played an important role in bringing him back to the party. But Padmaja faced setbacks in her political career. Padmaja also contested the 2016 and 2021 assembly elections, but lost both times. (input language)
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