Congress stalwart and former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran’s daughter Padmaja Venugopal is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. Padmaja will receive party membership from BJP President J.P. Nadda on Thursday evening.
Padmaja, currently a functionary of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee took the decision after she reportedly felt being sidelined within the party. Her husband Venugopal told Manorama News that Padmaja was feeling sidelined within the party for the past few years. He charged Padmaja was deliberately defeated by a section of Congress during the recent assembly election in Thrissur and Congress leaders turned a deaf ear to her complaints. He added Congress leaders even did not show necessary initiative to build a Trust in the name of Karunakaran despite the government allotting land for the purpose.
Meanwhile, responding to the developments Vadakara MP and Padmaja’s brother K. Muraleedharan said her decision was a betrayal and would not benefit the saffron party even an ounce. “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," Muraleedharan said.
The Vadakara MP said Muraleedharan said Karunakaran 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.
Recently, veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony's son Anil Antony joined the BJP. Anil, who was at the helm of Kerala Congress's digital media team, is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha election from the Pathanamthitta constituency.