Congress repeating Haryana in Palakkad, claims party’s Kerala leader

Palakkad, Oct 16 (IANS) Head of the social media unit of the Kerala Congress P. Sarin on Wednesday claimed that the party is repeating the same mistakes in Kerala bypolls as it did in the Haryana Assembly elections.

“If the high command listens to only one side of the section of the party then Haryana-like results will be repeated in Palakkad,” Kerala Congress’ popular leader Sarin told media persons after the party gave the ticket to Youth Congress President Rahul Mamkootathil for the November 13th Palakkad Assembly by-election.

Sarin said that the need of the hour is to have a relook into the selected candidate. “If the Congress-led UDF candidate loses, it will be a defeat of Rahul Gandhi and not of Rahul Mamkootathil,” he added.

Sarin is a medical doctor by profession. He quit the civil service in 2016 and joined the Congress party.

In the 2021 Assembly polls, Sarin lost to K. Premkumar of the CPI-M from the Ottapalam Assembly constituency by around 15,000 votes.

The rift in the Congress over the Palakkad candidate has brought cheer to both the CPI-M-led Left and the BJP as the constituency in the past two elections has seen a very tight triangular contest.

In the 2021 Assembly polls, the BJP candidate E. Sreedharan lost to sitting Congress legislator Shafi Parambil by less than 4,000 votes.

Sources said that the CPI-M is even mulling to back Sarin as their independent candidate.

State CPI-M Secretary M.V. Govindan said that reportedly there is disagreement as usual in Congress.

“Let us wait and see how Congress messes up in Palakkad,” said Govindan.

Veteran CPI-M Central Committee member A.K. Balan also criticised Congress for not being able to keep its flock together and slammed the party’s leadership for not taking concrete steps to amend their party.

Meanwhile, Kerala Leader of the Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan said that the candidate selection was thoroughly discussed and debated.

“Sarin was part of these discussions. I am unsure why he talking against Rahul Mamkootathil now. If he had any reservations, he should have raised them in these meetings only,” the LoP said.

–IANS

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