Like Judas to Jesus, like Anil to Antony, says Sudhakaran

State president K Sudhakaran stressed that no workers will desert the party. “Beyond his status as AK Antony’s son, Anil cannot lay claim to the Congress tradition of street protests,” he said.

K Sudhakaran, President of KPCC (File Photo | B P Deepu, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress state leadership has expressed confidence that Anil Antony’s entry into the BJP will not have a ripple effect on the party. A united party leadership stood behind veteran leader AK Antony and extended him all support. Minutes after Anil joined the saffron party, a visibly shaken Antony visited Indira Bhavan and declared his allegiance to the Nehru family. Taking a cue from the veteran, other party leaders also sounded defiant. 

State president K Sudhakaran stressed that no workers will desert the party. “Beyond his status as AK Antony’s son, Anil cannot lay claim to the Congress tradition of street protests,” he said. “The day on which Anil decided to join the BJP is the day on which Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Anil has no tradition of raising slogans for the party,” he added.

A teary-eyed A K Antony enters his room at Indira Bhavan after speaking to visual media where he was ushered in by senior leader Pandalam Sudhakaran, Cherian Philip and Manacaud Suresh | B P Deepu

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan downplayed Anil’s political move and said nothing will come of it. “Anil has fallen into BJP’s trap. This is nothing more than treachery. It is not going to affect Antony’s political image. Anil was a failure in performing the tasks the party had assigned him,” Satheesan said. Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala described Anil’s decision to join the BJP as immature.

“Anyone who knows the BJP would never join the party,” he said. “Anil’s action will not affect A K Antony. People of the state have known Antony for decades. The BJP will not be able to blemish his image with this move. History will prove Anil wrong,” he said.

ANIL’S DECISION IS UNFORTUNATE, SAYS K MURALEEDHARAN
Congress leader K Muraleedharan said Anil’s decision was unfortunate. “But it will not affect the party because he has not worked at the ground level for Congress. “He should not have hurt his father A K Antony, a stalwart who lived for the Congress party. I’m limiting my comment on the issue because of the love and respect for A K Antony,” he said.

Recently there were rumours that Muraleedharan would join the BJP. Muraleedharan had strongly rejected the false campaign. “Even if attacks continue against me, I will stay put in the Congress. There is no point in portraying K Karunakaran’s son as Sanghi. I have always been a secular leader. And it’s something I have been keeping close to my heart,” Muraleedharan said in a Facebook post.

READ HERE:

I am deeply pained by Anil's decision to join BJP, says AK Antony