Chennai: Congress MLA from Vilavancode, S Vijayadharani, on Saturday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi, in a setback to the party just months before the Lok Sabha polls and just a week after the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) got a new chief.
Vijayadharani, a three-time MLA from Vilavancode in Kanyakumari and granddaughter of renowned Tamil poet Desiyavinayagam Pillai, is likely to lose her MLA post with the Congress seeking her disqualification from the Assembly under the anti-defection law.
Her induction comes as a boost to the BJP, which is trying to cobble up a Third Front in Tamil Nadu after the AIADMK snapped ties with the party and quit the NDA. Vijayadharani’s exit from Congress and her joining the BJP was being speculated for about two weeks now.
This is the third time that a sitting MLA quit the party to join BJP after Ku Ka Selvam and P Saravanan from DMK who quit to join the saffron party in 2021. However, Selvam and Saravanan later quit the BJP to join DMK and AIADMK respectively.
The immediate provocation for Vijayadharani’s exit seems to be the indication from the Congress that her request to contest Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat will not be considered this time. It is also said that she was upset with her colleague, Rajesh Kumar, being made the Congress Legislature Party leader replacing K Selvaperunthagai, who was appointed as TNCC chief last week.
“BJP gives importance to women and that is why I have joined the party today. Women can’t hold big posts in the Congress,” Vijayadharani said, after joining the BJP.
A sitting Congress MLA joining BJP in Tamil Nadu also comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to address a rally in Palladam in Tiruppur district during which state BJP chief K Annamalai has promised “key defections” from AIADMK.
A stung Congress said Vijayadharani will return to the Congress sooner than later, while writing to Speaker M Appavu seeking her disqualification.
“It is not a setback to the Congress. One person going to BJP doesn’t weaken the Congress,” K Selvaperunthagai said.
With Speaker Appavu likely to disqualify Vijayadharani based on Congress’ request, Vilavancode might be headed for by-polls. Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai welcomed Vijayadharani her presence would strengthen the path of Tamil Nadu BJP in realising the political change in Tamil Nadu.