Chennai, Feb 24 (UNI) Ms Vijayadharani, three-time Congress Legislator from Vilavancode Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu, on Saturday quit the party and joined the BJP at New Delhi in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls.
Soon after she joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister L.Murugan, the Congress high command, in a swift move, expelled her from the primary membership of the party.
In a related development, the Tamil Nadu Congress has submitted a petition to Assembly Speaker M.Appavu seeking to take action against her under the Anti-defection law for joining the BJP.
Ms Vijayadharani, who was elected from the seat in the southern Kanniakumari district in the 2011, 2016 and 2019 Assembly polls, said she would strive hard to strengthen the BJP, while praising the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hailed him as a great leader.
Ms Vijayadharani later met BJP National President J.P.Nadda on Saturday evening after joining the party.
Meanwhile, TNCC President K.Selvaperunthagai expressed hope that she would re-join the Congress soon, while stating that she would stand to lose her MLA seat under anti-defection law.
He also said that just because one MLA leaving the party, it would be any set back for the Opposition INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha polls.
UNI GV 2225