Thrissur: Padmaja Venugopal, the daughter of the Congress leader and former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, who joined the BJP recently, hit out against her former party for plotting against her during the last two assembly elections.

Without naming incumbent MP T N Prathapan, Papdmaja said that a few leaders in Thrissur campaigned against her which led to her defeat in the elections.

Launching a scathing attack against Congress, she also questioned the party's intention behind fielding her brother K Muraleedharan from Thrissur. “Some of the leaders hate me. Actually, they don't like Karunakaran's children. I think my brother Muraleedharan would have easily won this election from Vadakara. I wonder why the party fielded him in Thrissur? I'm sure Suresh Gopi will win the polls,” she told reporters here on Monday.

Responding to Muraleedharan's harsh criticism against her, she said that she never questioned him when he joined NCP. 

“I'm proud that I took care of my father for 16 years. My brother did not visit our father for eight months before his death. But, now he is speaking for Karunakaran's legacy. I know my brother well. He overreacts. We both have an equal share in Murali Mandiram, the house in Thrissur where our parents were laid to rest,” said Padmaja.

In the Lok Sabha polls, Congress has fielded Muraleedharan against BJP's Suresh Gopi and CPI's V S Sunil Kumar. 

Padmaja also opened up about her bitter experience with Congress. “In 2021, then DC president Vincent borrowed Rs 22 lakh from me for Priyanka Gandhi's election campaign in Thrissur. Even after borrowing money, they didn't allow me to travel with Priyanka. Later, I came to know that KPCC granted funds for the programme. I had filed a complaint with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi regarding this,” Padmaja said.  

Thrissur is likely to witness a dramatic election campaign as Padmaja will seek votes for BJP's Suresh Gopi against her sibling, marking her entry into the saffron party.