In a major political development, Anil Antony, the son of Congress veteran and former Union Minister AK Antony, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today. Anil Antony, who was a Congress leader from Kerala, quit the party in January following the controversy over BBC’s documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At a formal event today, BJP leaders Piyush Goyal and V Murlidharan, and the party’s Kerala unit chief K Surendran welcomed Anil Antony to their party. The former Congress leader, who ran the party’s social media cell in Kerala, expressed his support for Prime Minister Modi’s vision of putting India in a leading place in a multi-polar world.
“Every Congress worker believes they are working for a family. But I believe I am working for the country,” Anil Antony told reporters at the event. He also dismissed the notion that he had consulted his father before making the move, saying, “This is not about personalities, this is about differences of opinion and ideas. My respect for my father will remain the same.”
Anil Antony’s decision to join the BJP comes as a blow to the Congress, as his father is a party veteran and loyalist who has also served as the Defence Minister. The Congress has accused Anil Antony of betraying his father, describing it as a “day of betrayal.” However, the BJP hopes that his switch will help them expand their presence in Kerala and gather support from a larger voter base, particularly Christians.
Anil Antony’s credentials have impressed the BJP leadership, with Union Minister Piyush Goyal stating that his views on sustainable development align with those of Prime Minister Modi. Anil Antony, who did his MSc from Stanford University and BTech from the College of Engineering Trivandrum, is expected to play an active role in helping the BJP grow its footprint in southern India.
Anil Antony’s move to the BJP is the latest in a series of high-profile defections from the Congress to the saffron party, including former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal. The Congress, which has been struggling to retain its voter base in several states, will likely face further challenges as more prominent leaders defect to the BJP.
