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.
A three-time MLA, she was also the chief whip of the Congress in the Tamil Nadu Assembly and former president of Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress.
Addressing a press conference, after joining the party, in the presence of Union Minister L. Murugan and other BJP leaders, she said, “There are many things happening in our country. The profile of the country has been raised internationally. People are happy with various schemes of the present government. Good schemes of the Indian government are not promoted or considered in States such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The BJP should be strengthened in these States,” she said.
She further said the ‘padayatra’ of BJP State president K. Annamalai was sure to bring about a transformation of the party.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai said the party would approach the Speaker to get her disqualified as a legislator.
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.
