Kerala MLA P C George, whose party is part of the BJP-led NDA, claimed on Sunday that the BJP’s central leadership had held talks with six Congress MPs and three Congress MLAs from the state and that defections would follow. The Congress dismissed the claim.

George’s claim

George, who represents Poonjar, told reporters in Kottayam after a state committee meeting of his party that he had learnt of the talks, but refused to give details. Contacted later, he again declined to elaborate but predicted Congress members in Kerala would soon move to the BJP in “a flow”, adding that he would be proved right before long.

His Kerala Janapaksham Secular party recently joined the NDA in the state. The claim came while the Congress was losing MLAs in Karnataka and Goa.

Congress response

KPCC Vice President and MLA V D Satheesan said nobody took George seriously, calling him a “big mouth” who makes such allegations to get media coverage. He said no Congress leader in Kerala would move to the BJP, and alleged that George was making these claims because the Congress had blocked his attempt to enter the UDF.

Background

George was earlier with the Kerala Congress (Mani) but left before the 2016 assembly election after falling out with its leadership. He won Poonjar as an independent and later founded the Kerala Janapaksham Secular party. In that 2016 election the CPI(M) won 58 seats, the Congress 22 and the BJP 1, and Pinarayi Vijayan became Chief Minister.

See also: Congress | Elections

Originally published on 22 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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