Will win Pathanamthitta, says Anil as father Antony wishes for his defeat

Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 (IANS) A war of words broke out on Tuesday between Anil Antony, the BJP's candidate in Kerala's Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat, and his father A.K. Antony, Congress leader and former Defence Minister. 

The father, who is a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), said, “Anil will not win”. Soon after the son hit back, saying that he felt sorry for his father and added, “I will win”.

While the veteran Antony said this while interacting with the media in the state capital, his son took time from his campaign to speak to the media at the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency.

“Children of Congress leaders joining the BJP is wrong. I have always stated that politics is different and family is different. Anil will lose at Pathanamthitta and Anto Antony (the Congress candidate) will win,” said A.K. Antony and reminded everyone not to make him talk about children of political leaders, as that was not his culture.

“Since I have health issues, I am not campaigning. Moreover, Anto will win with a handsome margin, even if I am not going for the campaign,” said A.K. Antony to pointed questions about his son Anil joining the BJP and becoming the candidate.

Senior Antony went on to attack the BJP and said the fortunes of the party in Kerala have waned as compared to the 2019 polls when the Sabarimala temple issue was at its peak.

“The upcoming polls are not to the Assembly, instead it’s going to be a life and death battle as the future of India is at stake. We want to recover India and for that, we have to defeat the BJP as its back-seat driving is being done by the RSS. The Constitution of India has to be safeguarded... and it will be the end of democracy if Modi returns,” added A.K. Antony.

But hitting back and taking a strong political position against the Congress and its leaders, Anil Antony said, "I only feel sorry for my father. I am going to win and Anto will lose heavily. A good number of the Congress party leaders are ‘outdated’. They are only looking for the welfare of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. All that they are doing is like the dogs which bark looking at the moon.”