(MENAFN- IANS) Thiruvananthapuram, March 13 (IANS) More Congress leaders are set to join the BJP before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Kerala, state BJP President K. Surendran said on Wednesday.

Leaders from the Left also will be joining the BJP shortly, he added.

PM Modi will reach Palakkad on Friday to take part in the roadshow of party candidate C. Krishnakumar contesting from the Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency.

"Before PM Modi arrives, tomorrow (Thursday), we are receiving a few Congress leaders into our party and we are getting leaders from the CPI-M-led Left also in the coming days," Surendran said.

Last week, the state BJP got a prized catch in Congress General Secretary, Padmaja Venugopal, the daughter of four-time Chief Minister K. Karunakaran.

The Congress, however, was dismissive, saying that she was never a crowd-puller and the only tag she had was of being Karunakaran's daughter.

Earlier, seven-time legislator P.C. George and his son merged their Kerala Janapaksham-Secular with the BJP.

Now all eyes are on three-time former CPI-M legislator S. Rajendran from Devikulam in Idukki district, who was suspended from the party after he allegedly tried to defeat the party candidate who replaced him at the 2021 Assembly polls. Rajendran has already said he does not intend to renew his party membership and there are reports he has had informal talks with the BJP leadership also.

MENAFN13032024000231011071ID1107971796