Thiruvananthapuram | Congress leader R Reshmi, who had given a stiff fight to Finance Minister K N Balagopal in the last Assembly election from the Kottarakkara constituency, joined the BJP here on Saturday.

Reshmi was the state general secretary of the Mahila Congress and had been elected to local bodies multiple times.

Addressing a press conference, Reshmi said she had worked as a people's representative for the Congress for the past 20 years. However, after the 2021 Assembly election, she faced bitter experiences which prompted her to distance herself from the party.

She said she had contested against the current Finance Minister Balagopal and received wide public support.

"I lost the election by a small margin of votes. After the election, I tried to remain active in politics in Kottarakkara. But for that, we have to undertake several financial burdens," Reshmi said.

Despite the adversities, she said she remained active in the constituency.

She said Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh had recommended her candidature in the last Assembly election and supported her throughout. However, she alleged that he was under the control of a section of people in Kottarakkara.

Reshmi also recalled the support she received from Jebi Mather MP and other leaders in the Mahila Congress.

"After reports emerged that I was joining the NDA, some people started targeting me through new media platforms. But I am not ready to respond to them," she said.

She said bitter experiences from certain individuals in Congress prompted her to leave the party and added that she would reveal more details in the coming days.

Welcoming Reshmi to the party, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said she would contest the upcoming election.