Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 12: Ahead of Tamil Nadu polls, actress-turned-politician Khushboo Sundar on Monday October 12 joined the BJP, hours after quitting the Congress and being removed as its spokesperson.
Congress spokesperson until Monday morning, Khushboo, by afternoon changed sides and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi and even suggested if the nation has to "move forward" it needs the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Khushboo's move is being seen as BJP's attempt at ramping up its organisation in Tamil Nadu where it has a very weak presence.
Once a successful southern movie star who featured in more than 200 movies Khushboo joined the saffron party in the presence of BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi. Along with her, Madan Ravichandran and Saravanan Kumaran from Tamil Nadu also joined the BJP at the party headquarters here.
Later she met BJP President J P Nadda.
The actor-turned-politician resigned from the Congress after six years, only after shooting a scathing letter to Sonia Gandhi.
Soon after her joining the BJP, Khushboo said, she has "come to an understanding" that if the nation has to "move forward" it needs leadership of PM Modi.
"I am whole-heartedly in the service of the Bharatiya Janata Party and I promise to do my best in whatever responsibilities given to me. I will make sure that my state sees a BJP government," she said.
Former cop K Annamalai who recently joined the BJP took to Twitter to welcome Khushboo and others into the party.
Earlier in the day, in her resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, she alleged that individuals like her were being "suppressed" by "few elements seated at higher levels within the party".
She said that she had decided to end association with Congress with whom she had been for six long years. Justifying her decision, the actress turned politician stated that it was a thought out process and claimed that she was being suppressed and pushed by some elements who are at a higher level within the party.
Amid the speculations that the actress was to join the BJP, Congress also removed her as party spokesperson on Monday. "Smt. Khushboo Sundar is hereby dropped as AICC Spokesperson with immediate effect," said a statement from Pranav Jha, party secretary in-charge of Communications.
The BJP is likely to rope her for the 2021 assembly elections to break new ground in Tamil Nadu, a state that has been elusive for the party. "Khushboo will change the perception of the BJP in Tamil Nadu," said sources in the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit.
Not new to switching parties, Khushboo was part of DMK in 2010, before joining Congress. Back when the DMK was in power, the popular star said, "I think I made the right decision. I love to serve people. I want to work for the betterment of women."
However, she soon joined Congress, four years later, stating that her 'hard work in DMK has been a one-way path.' When Khushboo had joined Congress in 2014 following a meeting with Sonia Gandhi, she said, "I finally feel I am home. Congress is the only party that could do good for the people of India and unite the country."
But Khushboo was neither given a ticket for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls which the DMK-Congress alliance swept in the state nor chosen for the upper house.
This also comes at a time the ruling AIADMK is considering discontinuing its alliance with the BJP following its collapse in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and speculation that the national party could tacitly back superstar Rajinikanth who is likely to launch his party ahead of the polls.