Thrissur (Kerala) | BJP leader and NDA candidate from Thrissur assembly constituency, Padmaja Venugopal, on Monday expressed "utmost happiness and pride" after sharing an open vehicle with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a roadshow here, calling it a "sweet revenge" against her former party, the Congress.

A former Congress leader and daughter of four-time Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran, Padmaja, alleged that she was denied a similar opportunity as a candidate during the 2021 assembly poll campaign when Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi visited Thrissur.

Padmaja had contested as a Congress-UDF candidate from the Thrissur constituency in the 2021 assembly polls.

"Despite repeated requests, I was not allowed to share the open vehicle with Priyanka Gandhi. Even though I was a candidate, the then Lok Sabha MP was given preference. I faced neglect on stage as well," she told reporters.

"In that context, sharing the vehicle with the PM was a sweet revenge for me," she added.

Recalling the roadshow held on Sunday, she said Modi treated her with warmth and courtesy.

"He behaved like an elder brother and even asked me to move to the front while we were standing in the vehicle. It was the happiest day of my life," she said.

During the high-energy campaign event on Sunday, three NDA candidates, including Padmaja and Union Minister Suresh Gopi, joined Modi in the open vehicle as it moved through Thrissur, drawing large crowds.

Thrissur is one of the constituencies where the BJP is pinning its hopes ahead of the April 9 assembly polls.