Ending days of speculation, Congress MLA Vijayadharani joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi on February 24, 2024. She tendered her resignation from the primary membership of the Congress to its president Mallikarjun Kharge.
A three-time MLA from Vilavancode in Kanniyakumari district, Ms. Vijayadharani joined the saffron party in the presence of Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan and the party’s Tamil Nadu in-charge Arvind Menon, among others.
Earlier in the day, she announced in her X (formerly Twitter) page that she has tendered resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai welcomed her to the party.
“Congress Party’s Vilavankode Constituency Assembly Member Sister @VijayadharaniM was impressed by the serious leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Mr. @narendramodi and in Delhi, Hon’ble Union Minister of State Mr. @Murugan_MoS and @BJP4Tamilnadu State Election Officer Mr. @MenonArvindBJP, State Co-in-charge Mr. @ReddySudhakar21 has joined the BJP today. I welcome Sister @VijayadharaniM and inform her that her visit will further strengthen Tamilnadu BJP,” he posted.
Addressing the media at BJP headquarters, Ms. Vijayadharani said she was impressed by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and felt the central schemes are not being taken to the people in some states such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. She also praised the Union government for enacting law to provide 33% reservation to women in the Parliament and Assemblies.
Welcoming her, Mr. Murugan said her presence will strengthen the party in the State.
Last week, The Hinduquoting sources close to Ms. Vijayadharani had reported that she was unhappy with the Congress leadership for denying her the post of the floor leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The party high command didn’t heed to her request for nominating her as the candidate for the Nagercoil Lok Sabha constituency in 2019, and during the subsequent by-election.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K. Selvaperunthagai said the party will approach Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker to get her disqualified.
Ms. Vijayadharani was associated with the Congress since her student days. She has been representing Vilavancode since 2011. She was also the chief whip of the Congress in the Tamil Nadu Assembly and former president of Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress.
After days of speculation, Congress Vilavancode MLA S. Vijayadharani on Saturday joined the BJP in New Delhi and tendered her resignation from the primary membership of the Congress to its president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Ms. Vijayadharani has followed in the footsteps of former Congress leader Khushbu Sundar, who switched over to the BJP and contested in the 2021 Assembly election . Ms. Vijayadharani said that while she may be losing her MLA post, she was confident that a new opportunity would come up as the Lok Sabha election was just around the corner.
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