Khushboo Sundar joins BJP, praises Modi

New Delhi: Congress spokesperson until Monday morning, southern movie star Khushboo Sundar, by afternoon changed sides and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi and even suggested if the nation has to "move forward" it needs the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls scheduled next year, Khushboo's move is being seen as BJP attempt at ramping up its organisation in the southern state where it has a very weak presence.

Once a successful southern movie star who featured in more than 200 movies Khushboo joined the saffron party in the presence of BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi.

Later she met BJP President JP Nadda. The actor-turned-politician resigned from the Congress after six years, only after shooting a scathing letter to Sonia Gandhi.

Soon after her joining the BJP, Khushboo said, she has "come to an understanding" that if the nation has to "move forward" it needs leadership of PM Modi.

"I am whole-heartedly in the service of the Bharatiya Janata Party and I promise to do my best in whatever responsibilities given to me. I will make sure that my state sees a BJP government," she said.

Earlier in the day, in her resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, she alleged that individuals like her were being "suppressed" by "few elements seated at higher levels within the party".

She was being speculated to join the saffron brigade for quite some time, which she had denied. This morning, getting a sense of the development, Congress dropped her as party spokesperson.

Along with Sundar, Madan Ravichandran and Saravanan Kumaran from Tamil Nadu also joined the BJP at the party headquarters here.