Ahead of the Assembly polls in Kerala, NDA candidate from Thrissur Padmaja Venugopal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Congress leadership, saying former Chief Minister K Karunakaran “would have joined the BJP” if he were alive today.
In an interview with ANI, Padmaja repeatedly targeted AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, holding him primarily responsible for her exit from the Congress and describing him as a key reason for her disillusionment with the party. She alleged that he played a central role in creating difficulties for her within the organisation.
Padmaja (66), who had contested unsuccessfully on a Congress ticket in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections and later in the 2016 and 2024 Assembly elections from Thrissur, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2024. The BJP had won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections with actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi as its candidate.
She said her exit from the Congress was driven largely by issues linked to KC Venugopal, while also acknowledging that Sonia Gandhi was “a very nice lady” and had treated her well. However, she said she could not “adjust” with the current leadership under Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal, according to ANI.
Venugopal, now the Alappuzha MP, was once closely associated with K Karunakaran’s family and had received support from the veteran Congress leader during his political rise. Padmaja alleged that despite this association, he became a source of political difficulties for her within the party, claiming his followers in Thrissur created problems and that he tended to side with them rather than her.
Rejecting the Congress charge that she had “betrayed” the party, Padmaja said she was denied a fair political opportunity despite her family legacy, adding that her father had played a role in Venugopal’s early political career.
Now a BJP National Council member, Padmaja expressed confidence in her political prospects in Thrissur, citing her local roots and organisational support.
Ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections, she filed her nomination in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded poet and cultural figure Alankode Leelakrishnan, while the United Democratic Front (UDF) has fielded Congress leader and former Mayor Rajan Pallan.
Counting of votes will be held on May 4, while the current Assembly’s tenure ends on May 23.
(With inputs from ANI)