PALAKKAD: K. Muraleedharan may be compelled by the Congress leadership to campaign for the UDF candidate in the Palakkad by-election, Rahul Mamkootathil, but he will never desire the victory of the man who spoke disparagingly about his mother, former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran’s daughter, Padmaja Venugopal, said on Monday.
“My brother has said he will campaign for Rahul, but I am certain he will not wish for the victory of the person who tried to denigrate our mother. He was so close to his mother and will never forgive those who passed slanderous remarks about her. I know he was deeply pained by the remarks,” she told mediapersons.
“My mother loved all Congress leaders like her own children and hosted them even at odd hours, ignoring her health. Had she not tried to shower her affection on ungrateful Congress leaders, she wouldn’t have met with an early death,” said Padmaja.
Referring to Rahul's behavior, when he refused to shake hands with a rival candidate, she noted that this was not the culture of the Congress party until recently. “My father taught us not to nurse grudges against rival candidates and insisted that we never drag our families into politics,” she said.
Padmaja wondered why the Congress had to introduce a candidate from Pathanamthitta for the Palakkad bypoll when there are many deserving local leaders.
“The Congress doesn’t have workers at the booth level to coordinate the campaign, and its leaders are all in a race for the chief minister’s chair. A coterie controls the party, and its members don’t even allow the KPCC president to function unfettered,” said Padmaja.