Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly and senior Congress leader V D Satheesan alleged that the CPM played a role in Padmaja Venugopal’s entry into the BJP, quitting the Congress.

Satheesan said a retired IPS officer with friendly relations with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, played an important role in Padmaja’s switch to the saffron party. The retired officer, who is still holding an important position in Kerala, worked as an intermediary for her entry into the BJP, Satheesan alleged.

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Speaking to media persons in New Delhi, Satheesan said it was the CPM that has expressed extreme happiness over Padmaja’s desertion of Congress and entry into the BJP. The hope that Congress will be decimated through this is the reason behind this happiness. But what we have to say to those people, including the state chief minister, is that “you are utterly wrong in your calculations”, Satheesan said.

“In the coming days, the Congress will reply to these developments. The people of Kerala will understand, who are actually fighting against the Sangh Parivar and, who are making deals with the Sangh Parivar then,” Satheesan said.

He further said there is no substance in Padmaja Venugopal’s allegation that Congress leaders took money in the name of an election campaign. Padmaja has not raised any complaint within the party regarding the payment of money for the campaign.

Satheesan further said there was no possibility of any change in the already-decided list of Lok Sabha candidates. “Those who have already decided will contest in all the 16 constituencies, he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP has given a warm welcome to Padmaja Venugopal on her arrival in Thiruvananthapuram. State party leaders, including BJP state president K Surendran, Union Minister V Muraleedharan, Shone George, Karamana Jayan, VV Rajesh, and Adv S Suresh were at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport to receive her.

Outside the airport, BJP workers in large numbers greeted Padmaja by showering flowers and raising slogans welcoming her into the party fold.

Speaking to media persons, Padmaja described joining the BJP as shifting to a new house. She came down heavily on the ‘work at home’ remark made against her by her brother and Congress leader K Muraleedharan. “He (Muraleedharan) happened to be my elder brother, I would have slapped him if he was my younger brother,” she said.

In a major setback to the Congress in Kerala ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of former chief minister K Karunakaran, joined the BJP on Thursday.