Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 13 -- Former CPI(M) MLA Aisha Potti has joined the Congress, ending her nearly 30-year-long association with the Left party, triggering fresh political discussions in Kerala.

Aisha Potti formally took Congress membership at the party's day-and-night protest venue in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. She was welcomed into the party by Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan at the protest dais.

A three-time MLA from Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Potti, had been keeping a distance from the CPI(M) for some time. In the run-up to elections, there had been sustained speculation that she would cross over to the Congress, which gained further traction in recent weeks.

Her presence on Congress platforms has now culminate...