Former CPM MLA S Rajendran joins BJP in Kerala

In a major setback to the CPM in Kerala ahead of the Assembly elections, the left party’s three-time MLA, S Rajendran, joined the BJP on Sunday.

Rajendran accepted the party membership from BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar at a function held at the BJP state committee office in Thiruvananthapuram.

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Speaking after accepting the BJP membership, Rajendran said that he had decided to change politics after losing faith in the movement that he had been working with for many years. He clarified that he is joining the BJP not for personal interests but for the general needs and development of Idukki district. He said there are no special conditions for joining the BJP. Rajendran added that he has received an assurance from the BJP president that he will intervene to resolve the issues in the high range.

Rajendran was the CPM’s Devikulam MLA for three consecutive terms from 2006 to 2021. His relationship with the CPM strained after the 2021 Assembly elections. It was alleged that Rajendran had worked against LDF candidate Raja in Devikulam. A party-level inquiry later found the allegations to be true, following which Rajendran was suspended from the CPM in 2022 for a period of one year. Though the party leaders made repeated efforts to bring him back into the CPM, Rajendran remained unwilling to return.

Earlier, he had gone to Delhi and held discussions with BJP Kerala prabhari Prakash Javadekar. Rajendran was in the news recently for seeking votes for BJP candidates in the local body elections. He went out to seek votes in the plantation areas, including Idamalakudy and Devikulam.

CPI leader Gurunathan from Idukki and CPM activist Santosh also accepted BJP membership along with Rajendran. The BJP leadership announced that hundreds of people will accept membership under the leadership of S Rajendran at a public programme to be held in Munnar shortly.