C R Kesavan joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister VK Singh at the party HQ in New Delhi.
Rajagopalachari was the last Governor General of India before the country became a Republic. He was also a veteran Congress leader and writer, who served as chief minister of the erstwhile Madras Presidency.
Kesavan disclosed his exit from Congress on February 23. In his resignation letter, Kesavan said it was no more the party he had joined 22 years ago.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, the son of veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram, had expressed his disappointment at Kesavan’s resignation. He tweeted, “It’s always sad to see someone leave the party. INC is not addressing collective & individual concerns is perhaps a precipitating factor.”
Posts held by Kesavan after joining Congress in 2001:
Kesavan held the post of Vice-President of the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development. He also served as a member of the Prasar Bharati Board and the National Council Member of the Indian Youth Congress. He was also the National Media Panelist which made him a familiar face on English news channels.
Kesavan however never inspired much confidence within the Tamil Nadu party unit. A top source in the Congress said there had been requests for Kesavan to be fielded from South Chennai in the 2019 elections. “But Khushbu Sundar was our priority candidate. And then we didn’t get that seat as our ally DMK chose to contest from there. Otherwise, I can’t recall any instance of considering Kesavan for any position,” the leader said.
Among the first to welcome Keshavan into the BJP was Khushbu, who joined the BJP in 2021 after spending time in the DMK and Congress. “Better late than never! The great-grandson of Rajaji quit Congress. He says that he is unable to see or feel any vestiges of the ‘values’ in Congress anymore that made him work for the party for over two decades. Good luck my friend in all your future endeavors,” she tweeted.
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