 "Lok Sabha elections: Party over family? AK Antony wants son Anil to lose")
Following an inter-family war of words, veteran Congress leader and former Defence Minister AK Antony, on Tuesday said that he does not wish for his son Anil K Antony to win the election, several media outlets reported.
Anil Antony is contesting as a BJP candidate from the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala. The 38-year-old switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on April 6 and is challenging the incumbent MP and Congress leader, Anto Antony.
After a prolonged silence, AK Antony said his son’s party should face defeat, while affirming his support for Anto Antony to secure victory with a decisive margin in the southern Kerala constituency.
The 83-year-old former Kerala Chief Minister, despite health concerns, deemed it necessary to address the media, asserting that he must clarify his position, viewing the election as pivotal for upholding the essence of India and its constitution. AK Antony characterised it as a crucial battle, considering his extensive tenure as Defence Minister of India.
Antony also criticised the trend of offspring of Congress leaders joining the BJP, calling it inappropriate.
Citing health reasons for abstaining from campaigning outside Thiruvananthapuram for the Congress party, AK Antony expressed confidence that even without his active involvement Anto Antony would secure victory by a significant margin.
The veteran Congress leader’s comments came shortly after allegations suggesting that Anil Antony’s move to the BJP wasn’t without the family approval, particularly after a video surfaced featuring his mother, Elizabeth Antony, indicating her anticipation of her son’s BJP affiliation at a church gathering.
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Responding to his father’s comments, Anil Antony said, “I hold my father in high regard, but I disagree with his statement. He stands with a party (Congress) whose leaders have disparaged the sacrifices of our soldiers,” as reported by Moneycontrol.
The BJP candidate criticised the Congress and Rahul Gandhi for their persistent opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, and its ideological counterpart, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Anil alleged that the Congress has aligned with radical elements, evident in Pathanamthitta, where the incumbent MP made serious accusations against the BJP, alleging that the party capitalised on the sacrifices of soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack to secure victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as quoted by Moneycontrol.
He said that the sentiment in Kerala, where the Congress has struggled to secure electoral success in both the assembly and Lok Sabha, is shifting in favour of the BJP.
Kerala will go to polls on April 26 for its 20 Lok Sabha seats. Like in the earlier general elections, Kerala will have its elections on a single day, in the second phase of polling of 2024 Lok Sabha elections.