BJP leader from TN quits Rajya Sabha, joins Cong

BJP leader from Tamil Nadu and Rajya Sabha MP S Thirunavukkarasar joined the Congress on Monday. At a function at the AICC headquarters, he formally joined the party in the presence of Congress leaders and Union Ministers P Chidambaram and Ghulam Nabi Azad, after submitting his resignation from the Rajya Sabha.

“I was attracted to the BJP due to the personality of Vajpayeeji. Now the party has lost credibility and become increasingly communal. The influence of RSS is growing, which I cannot digest. I am joining the Congress unconditionally,” Thirunavukkarasar said.

Thirunavukkarasar became politically orphaned after the death of his mentor and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran. At one stage in the late 1980s, he was considered the second in command in MGR’s Cabinet and was its youngest Minister. He was the founder-leader of the party’s youth wing.

He also associated with Jayalalithaa but later formed his own party and merged it with the BJP in early 2000. The party made him a Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh. He was also Minister of State for Shipping, Communication & IT during the NDA regime.

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