Thampanoor Satheesh Joins BJP: The devoted Karunakaran Fan’s Walk Over
xploring Loyalties and Political Transformations in Thiruvananthapuram
Thambanoor Sathish, a former leader of the Congress party, left the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ending his lengthy association with it. He devotedly supported former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran and later moved to Ramesh Chennithala’s group.
Political Journey of Thambanoor Sathish
In the early 1990s, Sathish was part of the Kerala Students Union (KSU). He worked for the organization inside and outside schools. During that time, he led the KSU at SMV School in Thiruvananthapuram, which was controlled by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). Under Sathish’s leadership, KSU won the 1992 school elections at SMV High School.
Sathish was known for his friendly nature during his organizational work in Thiruvananthapuram. He served twice as a local councillor. However, his ward was removed when municipal boundaries changed. The CPM Party allegedly did this to prevent Sathish from winning again. As a result, Sathish lost his seat in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. He remained loyal to Chennithala’s group within Congress. Chennithala became a prominent leader of the District Congress Committee. Some of Sathish’s comments against Shashi Tharoor also caused problems for him.
The Decision to Join BJP
Sathish had a close relationship with Chennithala, joining him on trips to Sabarimala and other places. When the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee was recently reorganized, Sathish hoped to become a secretary. But the committee kept the same old leaders instead. Meanwhile, Padmaja Venugopal, who had ties to Karunakaran’s daughter, joined the BJP. This influenced Sathish’s decision to join the BJP despite Chennithala’s efforts to stop him.
In the 1990s, the SFI controlled SMV School, making it hard for KSU members. But Sathish realized the importance of school politics here. In 1991, the KSU candidate won the school elections, defeating a CPM supporter. In 1992, Sathish became the KSU leader at the school. He was behind these KSU successes.
Today, former Congress leaders Padmini Thomas and Thambanoor Sathish joined the BJP. BJP state president K. Surendran and candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed them. Surendran had said some Congress leaders would join the BJP. Recently, Sathish left Congress, feeling neglected. Padmini Thomas, a former Sports Council President, also joined her son.
Yesterday, Thambanoor Sathish resigned from all Congress posts. He said he would quit the party but would not join CPM or BJP. However, his visit to the BJP office with Surendran showed he was joining BJP. Padmini Thomas went to the BJP office along with Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the BJP candidate for Thiruvananthapuram.
