My father, a Congress veteran, will be happy today: Tamilisai

Elated on being appointed Telangana Governor, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday said her father, a Congress veteran, would be happy about her decision to choose the path she wanted to tread (join BJP).

Soundararajan, who served as Tamil Nadu President of the BJP since 2014, said she would proudly quit the leadership as she was instrumental in taking the party membership to 44.5 lakh in the state.

"...I chose BJP despite growing up as daughter of a Congress leader...Biggest challenge in my life was to stay determined about my decision to join BJP and make a mark for myself without any hurdles," she told reporters here.

A doctor by profession, Soundararajan said it was a choice she had to choose between her father's and her own path. "Today my father will be happy for my decision," she added.

The 58-year-old leader, who lost the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 general elections to DMK's M Kanimozhi, said she was proud that under her leadership the party membership grew to 44.5 lakh.

"I would be quitting as the state party president with that happiness," she said, vowing to focus on development of Telangana.