THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : With just a few weeks remaining for the Lok Sabha election, Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of late Congress patriarch K Karunakaran, has created major ripples in state politics by joining the BJP. While the saffron camp is elated over what it perceives as a prize catch, the move has sent shock waves within the Congress, whose leadership was caught unawares. The CPM is all set to raise the defection of the children of two former Congress chief ministers to the BJP as a major poll campaign. The Left feels minorities, especially those in the Muslim community, will distance themselves from the Congress in the coming election.
Padmaja’s move vindicates the CPM contention that a vote for Congress is in effect a vote for the BJP. However, it’s also seen as suggesting BJP’s increased acceptability among political parties and activists. The CPM has, for some time, been stating that today’s Congress is tomorrow’s BJP by pointing to many tall leaders joining the saffron camp in north India.
Padmaja joining the BJP, close on the heels of Anil Antony, has given an opportunity for the CPM to warn secularists and particularly the Muslim minority about an imminent threat to Kerala’s secular fabric.
The question posed by CPM state secretary M V Govindan -- “What is the guarantee that if a Congress candidate is selected they would remain in that party?” -- has now taken on many dimensions. It is also an open invitation to secular-minded Congress leaders, who cannot move to the saffron party, to join the Left camp. The CPM has been wholeheartedly welcoming Congress leaders and giving them key positions.
The CPM will also pose a moral and political question before the Muslim community about voting for a party which has lost its credibility. “These are not ordinary Congress leaders joining the BJP,” political analyst Ajith Sreenivasan said. “Anil and Padmaja are active political leaders and children of Congress leaders A K Antony and K Karunakaran. They might not attract votes, but their actions have moved the BJP from the position of an untouchable to being acceptable in Kerala’s binary politics. Now, the BJP has become a party, like the CPM or the Congress, where anyone can join without any hesitation,” he told the TNIE.
The CPM is happy about the political developments at a time when the state government and party are going through an unpopular phase. The CPM has already made the Padmaja and Anil episodes part of its political campaign. The party calculates that the latest developments, along with existing issues between the Samastha and the Muslim League, will benefit the LDF.
The ruling party has already raised N K Premachandran’s luncheon with PM Narendra Modi and Muslim League state president welcoming the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in its campaign. “The developments have shaken the confidence of the Muslim minority in the Congress,” said political commentator N M Pearson. “Padmaja’s exit will also accelerate the process of BJP’s acceptability within the Nair community,” he said. “Now we face a question of accountability,” a senior party leader said. “It comes at a time when Congress seeks to repeat 2019 LS result in Kerala. The Murali Mandiram where K Karunakaran smruthi is situated now belongs to Padmaja. The whole episode shows the collective failure of KPCC as they could not sense the BJP attempts earlier. The morale of candidates is at an all time low,” he told TNIE.
The BJP camp is elated as it feels this could trigger the move of more leaders to the saffron camp. ‘Operation Lotus’ has once again shown that anyone is within reach.
‘Will end all ties with my sister’
“I have decided to end all ties with my sister Padmaja Venugopal,” Congress leader K Muraleedharan MP said. In Kozhikode, he said, “There will be issues within the party but that should not be a reason for joining the BJP.” Muraleedharan said Padmaja was given sure seats in several elections, but she could not fetch a win. “There is no point in blaming others for the defeats,” he said.
Leaders ditching Congress for small gains, says Pinarayi
Congress leaders have become ‘a particular animal’ that is attracted by pieces of leftover bones, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. Inaugurating an election meeting of LDF candidate in Kannur on Thursday, he said a total of 11 former chief ministers of Congress have already joined the BJP. “These include leaders at all levels, including MLAs and MPs,” he said. There are innocent people who believe that Congress and the Left parties are fighting the BJP and voting for either of them will not make any difference.