![Three-time Congress MP from Tamil Nadu defects to BJP](http://media.assettype.com/news-crunch%2F2024-02%2F0082badf-f3ea-44f0-a6a1-9e1ff4455922%2FVijayadharani.avif?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
At a function held at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday, the transition was attended by several BJP leaders, including the state's News and Broadcasting Minister L Murugan and the party's Tamil Nadu State Chief Arvind Menon.
Vijayadharani, a three-time MLA from Vilavancode in Kanniyakumari district, quit the assembly on Saturday, stating that the switch to BJP is seen as a problem for the Congress party in the state and the party's strength has now reduced to 17, in the 234-member parliament.
Vijayadharani's political career is deeply rooted in the Congress since her student days and she has been representing Vilavancode since 2011. However, she is also a member of Parliament and former president of the Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress. She is the grandson of Tamil poet and social reformer Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai.
He is known for his contributions to Tamil literature, spirituality and social reform, especially his views on fighting and working for children.
At the BJP headquarters, Vijayadalani expressed her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and expressed concerns over the implementation of central government schemes in states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. She also touched on the BJP government's efforts to pass bills to reserve 33 per cent of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies as a tribute to women's empowerment in politics.
Her decision to switch allegiances was also praised by Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, who highlighted the influence of Modi’s leadership on her decision and welcomed her to the party, stating that her induction would strengthen the BJP’s presence in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP has currently just four MLAs and no MPs.