THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the unexpected entry of leader K Karunakaran's daughter Padmaja Venugopal into the BJP came as a blow to the Congress in the run-up to the parliamentary elections, the LDF camp is excited that it got a good campaign weapon to attack the UDF. That too at a time when the CPM and LDF are facing severe criticism on the Siddharth issue and wildlife attacks. Meanwhile, the BJP is celebrating the arrival of the leader's daughter into the party after the arrival of the son of AK Antony.

Although several Congress leaders in North India joined the BJP since the announcement of the elections, the situation in Kerala stood out. The KPCC leadership was confident that none of the leaders in the state would take the BJP's bait. Padmaja has proved them wrong.

Ahead of the 2019 parliamentary elections, the Congress campaigned that it had the strength to defeat the Sangh Parivar forces and ensure protection for religious minorities. The wave created by Rahul Gandhi's candidature in Wayanad and the religious sentiment on the Sabarimala issue also helped the UDF win 19 out of 20 seats.

However, the picture is changing in the 2024 elections. At the national level, the Congress is in a position where it cannot project itself as an alternative to the BJP. After the assembly elections in five states, the Congress rule was confined to Himachal, a small state in northern India.

Congress trying to comfort itself by trivializing Padmaja's exit
Congress is trying to trivialize the exit of Anil Antony and Padmaja by saying that they were nobody in the party and nothing would happen to the party with them quitting the party. However, the daughter of K leader Karunakaran and the son of AK Antony have joined the enemy camp. The public sees it in this eye. The issue of credibility and ethics it raises is no small one.

CPM eyeing Muslim, Christian votes
The CPM sees the entry of Padmaja and Anil Antony into the BJP as a golden opportunity to regain credibility among the Muslim and Christian sects. CPM State Secretary MV Govindan has already shot the question that even if Congress candidates win, what guarantee is there they will not go to BJP tomorrow? Today's LDF meeting will formulate strategies to take advantage of the situation.

This is just beginning, says BJP
BJP is overzealous with Padmaja's entry into the party. Padmaja's entry is also a weapon at the national level for the BJP leadership that is planning to make inroads in South India. The reaction of the BJP leaders is that the flow from the Congress to the BJP in Kerala has only just begun. Through this statement, they have managed to unsettle the minds of the Congress workers in the state. They have also hinted that more prominent leaders would soon join the BJP.