My son and BJP candidate Anil should lose from Pathanamthitta, says Congress leader A K Antony

The Pathanamthitta LS constituency has only ever elected Congress candidates

Congress leader A K Antony on April 9 said his son, Anil K Antony, who is contesting as BJP candidate in Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, should not win the election.

Addressing a press conference, Antony said that his son's party should lose. "BJP should lose there and Congress should win in Pathanamthitta. Anto Antony (Congress candidate) will win. Congress is my religion," said the veteran Congress leader.

He also termed the act of children of Congress leaders joining the BJP  "wrong".  "...Congress party and Rahul Gandhi are continuously fighting against Modi, BJP, RSS... I don't think the people of Kerala will take CM's (Pinarayi Vijayan) allegations seriously...INDIA bloc is moving forward…" he said.

Anil Antony joined the BJP in 2023. His departure from Congress began with a tweet where he slammed the BBC for its  documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister.

PM Modi  addressed a BJP election rally on March 19, pitching for Anil.  The Pathanamthitta  constituency has always elected Congress candidates.   Anto is looking to make this a fourth consecutive triumph.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congresss Anto Antony retained the seat with 3,80,927 votes, while the CPM candidate, Veena George, received 3,36,684 votes. During the 2014 elections, Congresss Anto Antony secured victory with a margin of 56,191 votes, obtaining a total of 3,58,842 votes. Independent candidate Philipose Thomas came second with 3,02,651 votes.

The Lok Sabha election will be held in Kerala on  April 26. While the polls will be held in seven phases across India, voting in Kerala will held in the second phase.