BJP welcomes defectors amid Divya signal

BJP leader P. K. Krishnadas has said his party remains open to leaders and workers from other political organisations, after a Facebook post by CPI(M) figure P. P. Divya prompted speculation about her political future in Kannur.

Krishnadas said those considering joining the BJP should first make their intentions clear. His remarks on Thursday followed Divya’s lengthy reflection on relationships, changing convictions and the importance of leaving behind what no longer serves a purpose.

The former Kannur District Panchayat president did not announce her resignation from the CPI(M), identify another party she intended to join or explicitly describe her Facebook message as a declaration of political separation. Her language nevertheless drew attention because of her strained position within the organisation.

Krishnadas presented the BJP’s willingness to accept newcomers as a general policy extending to workers and leaders across political parties. He also said Divya should clarify her stand, stopping short of claiming that she had approached the BJP or that discussions about her entry were under way.

His response added a new dimension to the discussion surrounding Divya, whose political standing has been affected by the controversy over the death of former Kannur Additional District Magistrate K. Naveen Babu. The possibility of a change in political allegiance remains an interpretation of her post rather than an announced decision.

Divya’s message drew on a Buddhist parable about a traveller who builds a raft to cross a river. After reaching the opposite bank, the traveller becomes so grateful for the raft that he decides to carry it on his head throughout the remainder of his journey.

The lesson, as Divya presented it, was that something which once provided essential help need not remain a permanent burden. She wrote that abandoning such a raft was not ingratitude but recognition of what life had taught.

She also reflected on relationships that had once offered comfort but could subsequently cause pain, and habits that had previously provided support but might later obstruct progress. Beliefs once considered correct, she suggested, need not remain correct for all time.

Those observations were widely interpreted as possible references to her experience within the CPI(M). However, Divya did not name party colleagues, identify a specific organisational dispute or explicitly connect the parable to any decision about her membership.

The post also referred to memories, difficult experiences, the value of truth and justice, and the possibility that separation could mark the beginning of another path. She indicated that the reflections arose from people and circumstances encountered during her own life.

The political significance of the message is heightened by the disciplinary consequences Divya faced following Naveen Babu’s death in October 2024. She resigned as Kannur District Panchayat president after allegations concerning her conduct at his farewell function, and the CPI(M) subsequently took disciplinary action against her.

Naveen Babu was found dead at his official quarters in Kannur on October 15, 2024. Divya had attended his farewell gathering and made critical remarks concerning him. Police subsequently filed a chargesheet accusing her of abetment of suicide. The allegation remains a matter for judicial determination and must not be treated as a finding of guilt.

Her position in the party has continued to attract attention as the Kannur leadership considers organisational issues and the consequences of the case. The controversy has also made public statements by Divya particularly sensitive to interpretations about her relationship with the leadership.

The BJP’s intervention does not itself establish that a transfer of allegiance is being negotiated. Krishnadas made no announcement of a membership application, and Divya’s published reflections offered no direct endorsement of the BJP’s policies or political programme.

The CPI(M)’s Kannur district leadership has also been reviewing organisational matters following the Assembly election. District secretary K. K. Ragesh indicated that Divya’s case could be discussed after the legal proceedings concluded. That position leaves her disciplinary situation connected to the outcome of the case rather than any public announcement about changing parties.

Divya ended her Facebook message with an English sentence declaring that justice may be delayed but the voice of truth will never fade. She linked that sentiment to the courage to speak the truth and the wisdom to recognise justice, saying her journey would continue.