Congress leader Mahila R. Reshmi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She accepted BJP membership from state party president Rajeev Chandrasekhar here on Saturday.
In the past few days, there have been speculations about her coming closer to the BJP. Ms Reshmi was the UDF candidate against Finance Minister KN Balagopal in the Kottarakara constituency in the 2021 State Assembly elections.
On Saturday, Ms Reshmi said she had decided to part ways with the Congress, of which she had been a member for 20 years, due to some “bad experiences” after the last assembly polls. Ms. Reshmi’s defection to the BJP also comes amid reports that P. Aisha Potti, a former CPI(M) MLA who joined the Congress, will contest as a UDF candidate in Kottarakara in the 2026 assembly elections. Mr. Chandrasekhar said that Ms. Reshmi will be a candidate in the upcoming elections.
Published – 21 Feb 2026 21:30 IST
