Former Congress Spokesperson Tom Vadakkan Joins BJP After Resignation

Former Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan resigned from the Indian National Congress in March 2019 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Vadakkan cited the Congress party's denial of the Balakot airstrike as the primary reason for his departure. He criticized the party's reliance on Reuters reports questioning the attack and the leadership's lack of access. Vadakkan, who had been with Congress for over two decades and was known as close to Sonia Gandhi, described Rahul Gandhi as immature and criticized the monopoly of the Gandhi family within the party. He joined BJP after being influenced by cultural nationalism and the party's inclusive stance, particularly as a Roman Catholic from Kerala. Vadakkan stated he was given a 'blank cheque' by BJP leaders and would serve the party as a worker.