Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 10 : In a significant political development in Kerala, senior CPI(M) leader and three-time former Devikulam MLA S. Rajendran is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marking a major shift in a constituency long regarded as a Left bastion.

Rajendran, a prominent leader from Idukki district, confirmed on Saturday that he recently held discussions with BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Speculation about his possible move to the BJP has been circulating for nearly three years.

Speaking about the meeting, Rajendran said he had not placed any personal demands and had set no conditions for joining the party. Earlier, he had also travelled to New Delhi to hold talks with senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, indicating sustained engagement with the BJPâ??s central leadership.

Rajendran has had a long political career within the CPI(M). He was first elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Devikulam Assembly constituency in 2006 and successfully retained the seat in the 2011 and 2016 elections. Prior to this, he served as president of the Idukki District Panchayat in 2003, emerging as a key political figure in the high-range region.

However, his relationship with the CPI(M) deteriorated after the 2021 Assembly elections. Allegations surfaced that he had worked against LDF candidate Raja in Devikulam. A party-level inquiry later found the allegations to be true, following which Rajendran was suspended from the CPI(M) in 2022 for a period of one year.

Despite repeated efforts by party leaders to bring him back into the fold, Rajendran remained unwilling to return. During the subsequent parliamentary and panchayat elections, speculation about his imminent switch to the BJP intensified, though he consistently maintained that no final decision had been taken.

It is now learnt that Rajendran is likely to formally take BJP membership at a meeting to be held in Munnar, under the leadership of senior BJP state leaders.

/IANS