Veteran Congressman predicts return of Anil Antony and Padmaja Venugopal

Veteran Congressman Cherian Philip on Monday said Anil Antony, the son of former defence minister A.K. Antony, and Padmaja Venugopal, the daughter of late four-time Congress chief minister K. Karunakaran, will have to return to the Congress party, just like him.

Philip was one of the closest aides of A.K. Antony for a long time until he left the party in 2001 and became a “fellow traveller” of the CPI(M)-led Left, contesting as an Independent candidate against Congress veteran Oommen Chandy.

However, in 2021 he walked back into the Congress and became the chairman of the media coordination committee of the party for the Lok Sabha elections.

“We all know how the BJP treated Mohan Sankar, the son of late Congress chief minister of Kerala, R. Sankar, after he joined the party. Anil and Padmaja will also feel the same way and they will have to return to the Congress, as there is no party like the Congress which loves and gives importance to all,” said Philip.

“The attitude of former state BJP president C.K. Padmanabhan to those who have joined the BJP from the Congress party speaks volumes,” added Philip.

Padmanabhan recently expressed his ire towards Padmaja when she was called to inaugurate the NDA’s Kasaragod constituency convention, refusing to get up from his seat when she lit the lamp and leaving the meeting before she ended her speech. Later, he vented his ire over giving too much importance to those who join the BJP from other parties.

“A tree when uprooted from one place and planted at another place dies and this is the same for anyone who leaves the Congress,” said Philip.