two-congress-leaders-join-bjp-ahead-of-kerala-polls

Two leaders of the Indian National Congress on Friday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, signalling fresh political churn in the state.

B S Anoop, who had contested from Chirayinkeezhu in the 2021 polls, and KPCC working committee member R S Arun Raj formally joined the BJP at an event in Thiruvananthapuram. They were inducted into the party by state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Party sources indicated that Anoop and Arun Raj are likely to be fielded from Chirayinkeezhu and Chadayamangalam constituencies, respectively.

Both leaders had reportedly sought Congress tickets for the upcoming elections but were denied, prompting their exit from the party.

Anoop said he had been compelled to leave due to what he described as injustice by the Congress leadership. “I became a panchayat member at the age of 23 and have worked hard for the party. People in Chirayinkeezhu wanted me to be given the candidature, and even the leadership had assured it. However, the seat was later given to Ramya Haridas, despite objections from local workers,” he said.

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Arun Raj also expressed dissatisfaction, stating that despite years of work through the KSU and Youth Congress, he and several others were sidelined during candidate selection.

He alleged that leaders who had previously been with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were being accommodated in the Congress, which he termed unfair to long-time party workers.

Welcoming the new entrants, Chandrasekhar said the development reflected growing disillusionment within the Congress.

“Those who want to work sincerely for the people and the nation cannot grow in the Congress. That is the current situation of the party,” he said, adding that the BJP remains open to individuals committed to public service.

He further claimed that dissatisfaction among workers in both the Congress and CPI(M) was contributing to such defections, ahead of the crucial Assembly polls in Kerala.