Thiruvananthapuram, April 6
The news of Anil Antony, son of veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony, joining the BJP has not come as a surprise for political circles in Kerala.
Incidentally Antony, a three-time Chief Minister of Kerala, had, soon after the lifting of Emergency, left the Congress and the outfit led by Antony and Oommen Chandy joined the then CPI-M-led Left and the government led by CPI-M veteran E.K. Nayanar in 1980.
At that time at the helm of the Congress was Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Antony had clear differences of opinion with her.
However, after the Nayanar government fell in the 1982, Antony and Chandy returned to the Congress.
But after his return, Antony was not in prominence for a few years and it was only after Indira Gandhi's passing away, that his party career revived and since then till his term in the Rajya Sabha ended last year, he has either been in the upper house of Parliament or the state Assembly.
Anil Antony, who was the IT wing head of the state Congress, had quit his post in in January this year, and since then, there were speculations was that he will soon be joining the BJP.
In a tweet then, he had expressed opposition to the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it will "undermine our sovereignty".
This tweet invited widespread criticism from numerous quarters including from the Kerala unit of the party.
Anil Antony, after taking the BJP party membership in Delhi on Thursday, said he has the highest regards and respect for his father and the decision to join the BJP is his own personal decision.
"In my home there are four people and all have their own views and my parents often taught me to go forward with my beliefs and in the present context, I feel I need to go forward with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.
Antony, who watched the entire press conference of his son at his home on TV, said that he will meet media later in the day and now all eyes are on what the ruling CPI-M is going to say, as their stock statement often has been that the BJP and the Congress are hand in glove.
Meanwhile Chandy's son, Chandy Oommen who was part of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra said what Anil Antony has taken is his own personal decision and he is free to have his view.
State Congress president K.Sudhakaran said Anil Antony did this on Maundy Thursday which signifies on how Judas ditched Jesus Christ.
"Anil, beyond being Antony's son, is nothing for the Congress party. Have you ever seen Anil working as a Congress worker, has he ever stuck a poster so we are least bothered about hkis joining the BJP. I did speak to Antony and he is upset and he said he never discusses politics at home," he said.
