Padmaja Venugopal, the late Congress stalwart K Karunakaran's daughter, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President K Sudhakaran termed Padmaja's decision as "cheating and betraying" the party and a "breach of confidence".
There were no reasons for Padmaja to leave the party, Sudhakaran added, saying it was a "wrong and unfortunate decision".
Sudhakaran said that he himself had taken many decisions to protect her interests, but she disregarded all that to leave the Congress and join the BJP.
"Nevertheless, as she is the daughter of the late K Karunakaran, we still have love and respect for her," he said.
K Muraleedharan, Congress MP and Karunakaran's son, denounced his sister's decision to depart from the party their father had nurtured, particularly ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier in the day, amidst indications that Padmaja would join the BJP, Muraleedharan said that her decision was a betrayal and that their father's spirit would not condone it.
The Vadakara MP announced that he is ending his relationship with his sister.
Muraleedharan said that 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.
"Our father's spirit will not condone it because she went with a communal organisation. That is why I said all relationships and bonds with her have ended. There will be no compromise with someone who has betrayed the party at this stage even if she is my sister," the Congress MP said while speaking to reporters in Kozhikode.
On being asked by reporters as to why children of Congress stalwarts such as A K Antony and Karunakaran were leaving the party to join the BJP and whether the leadership was unable to prevent it, Muraleedharan said it was because people's desires grew too big.
"The Congress party has given great consideration to her. That is sufficient for those who work at home," he said.
Muraleedharan further said that both Antony and Karunakaran went through hardships to come up in life, but their children have never known any difficulties and therefore get "such bad ideas" of leaving the party and joining an organisation that is "out to destroy the country".
BJP state president K Surendran said Anil Antony and Padmaja Venugopal's decisions are testimony to the BJP's increasing popularity and the beginning of the downfall of the Congress.
Surendran claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda was attracting people from across the state to the BJP.
"The Modi wave that is sweeping the country is beginning in Kerala," he contended.
Many who were criticising the BJP in the past will now join it, Surendran said, and that is why they are not saying anything.
The ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist in Kerala, on the other hand, sought to capitalise on the development by suggesting that it might erode trust in the Congress, as there would be no guarantee that its members would not join the BJP after winning.
CPI-M state Secretary M V Govindan commented that the recent exit of members from the Congress, including Anil Antony, Congress stalwart and former Union minister A K Antony' son, and their entry into the BJP would not help the party win even a single seat in Kerala.
Govindan said more people from the Congress will join the BJP, claiming that there is not much difference in their ideologies.
"Due to the soft Hindutva stand of the Congress, it is easier for their members to join the BJP as there is not much difference in their ideologies. It has been happening in other parts of India for some time, but not in Kerala. But now it is possible here too," Govindan said.
"In such a situation, how can the people trust them and vote for them?", the CPI-M state secretary told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
"Is there any guarantee they will remain in the Congress after winning and will not switch over to the BJP? That is the most important question in Kerala politics presently."
Muraleedharan said the BJP would not benefit "even an ounce" from Padmaja joining it.
"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 the third spot everywhere, including in seats where they hope to win."
Padmaja, Muraleedharan said, was thrice given the party ticket to contest polls in Kerala, and each time she had lost.
"So, the claims that others in the party were behind her defeat are not acceptable, as there are many who have tried to do that to me. I have not complained about it because it is the people who decide who should win or not," he said.
There was a time when he had to leave the party, Muraleedharan said, but even then he did not compromise with the BJP and join it -- even though it would have been very easy to do so -- as his father was someone who never compromised with communalism.
