Thiruvananthapuram: Former Congress leader Padmaja Venugopal, who joined the BJP on Thursday, said she had distanced herself from the party for the past three years and that she didn't want to stay in a party that insulted her father and former chief minister K Karunakaran. Criticising the Congress at the BJP headquarters, Padmaja said the party does not have a strong leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that every party needs a capable leader.

"I had distanced myself for the past three years from the party. It is clear who defeated me both times in the elections. Though I raised a complaint with the KPCC, they ignored it. The party made it impossible for me to work even in my own constituency. So, I decided to quit the Congress three years ago. However, I backed off from that decision when the party promised it would build a monument in my father's name. But I gradually understood not even a stone was going to be laid in his name. I have burst into tears in front of the KPCC president. Finally, I decided I didn't want to be part of a party that insulted my father," said Padmaja.

She said that someone asked her why she joined the BJP as she has stood strong with the Congress even when facing problems from within the party. "After seeing Prime Minister Modi's style of functioning for some time, I realised that every party needs a strong leader. The Congress does not have any such strong leaders," she said.

Padmaja alleged the leaders of the party do not even have time to meet its functionaries. She said that when she recently went to the Congress's headquarters in Delhi, she found that Sonia Gandhi did not meet anyone, "Rahul Gandhi has no time and most of the senior leaders have left (the party)". "...That day, I realised there was no point in remaining there. I had had enough of being insulted.

"During the elections, I was not included in any committees, four to five people within the party were working to chase me out of Thrissur and create problems for me everywhere else and when I complained about it, the party leadership did not take it seriously, which hurt me," Padmaja said.

All these things had been in her mind for some time, but she had not shared it with anyone else, she said. "So, they (Congress) were shocked by my sudden decision. They never thought I would make such a decision. I told them that anyone pushed into a corner would push back," she said.

'Will file complaint against Rahul Mamkootathil'
On reporters seeking her views about what Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil said about her parentage a day ago, she said that his comments amounted to insulting her mother and therefore, she would be filing a complaint against him in that regard.

Regarding what her elder brother, Congress MP K Muraleedharan, said about her decision, Padmaja said that he has no right to blame her when he has changed parties several times in the past. "I never said anything bad about him when I was in the Congress and he left it to join some other parties. He is my brother, so I have no intention of saying anything against him. "But, we need to keep our political and personal lives separate. My political life is different," she said.

On reporters pointing out that Muraleedharan said she was working from home and therefore, does not need any more consideration than what she has already got, Padmaja said that was an unfair statement coming from him. She said that Muraleedharan was aware of the health problems she had been suffering for over one-and-a-half years and therefore, he should not have made such a statement. "What he said, therefore, was for political gains and votes," she remarked.

Padmaja officially joined the BJP at a function held at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday. While the BJP suggested that it marked the decline of the grand old party, the ruling CPM in Kerala sought to capitalise on the development by suggesting that it could erode trust in the Congress.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan questioned whether there was any guarantee that Congress leaders when voted to power would remain with it and not join the BJP. Muraleedharan said that her decision was a betrayal and that their father's spirit would not condone it, and added that he was ending his relationship with his sister. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran termed Padmaja's decision as "cheating and betraying" the party and a "breach of confidence".
(With PTI inputs)