Thrissur (Kerala) | BJP leader Padmaja Venugopal on Saturday invited the senior Congress leader and Kannur MP, K Sudhakaran, to join the saffron party, in the wake of speculative reports suggesting that he was unhappy with his party's decision not to allow sitting MPs to contest the Assembly election.

Venugopal, the daughter of Congress stalwart K Karunakaran, who herself left Congress to join the BJP, also said she was "not surprised" by how Congress was treating Sudhakaran, just like it had "sidelined" her.

She also said that a person like Sudhakaran joining the BJP was the need of the times.

Wherever the senior Congress leader goes, he will get a seat to contest in the upcoming polls, she added.

"He will never be left without any support," the BJP leader told a TV channel here.

Her remarks come in the wake of speculative reports that Sudhakaran, former state Congress chief, is not happy with the AICC decision not to allow sitting MPs to contest in the Assembly polls.

The speculations arose from his emotional Facebook post in which he narrated his close connection to Kannur.

Venugopal also said that she will be contesting in the upcoming assembly polls from the Thrissur constituency, as being in the BJP has given her more confidence of a win.

She said that she was sure of getting all the party votes in Thrissur, a confidence she did not have when she was in the Congress.

"I am confident of winning from Thrissur as I have faith in the people from here and also because the BJP is always concerned about the party's win and not who is going to contest. So, it will work hard to ensure the victory of its candidates. That is a huge relief for me," Venugopal said.