An influential young leader has expressed feeling slighted and announced his decision not to support the BJP’s candidate in Palakkad. The opposition has seized the opportunity to propose alternative alliances.
The BJP’s aspirations of gaining ground in the Palakkad bypoll, a constituency where it secured second place in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections, have suffered a setback. G Sandeep Varier, a prominent young leader and state committee member, announced on Monday that he would refrain from endorsing C Krishnakumar, the BJP’s contender for the upcoming Palakkad bypoll scheduled for November 20.
In the year 2021, ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan was nominated by the BJP from Palakkad constituency, securing 35.34% of the total votes cast. This result highlights the consistent growth in the party’s electoral support in Palakkad over successive elections. Comparatively, during the 2016 Assembly elections, despite not fielding a prominent candidate like Sreedharan, the BJP still managed to garner 29.08% of the votes in the same constituency.
The BJP secured its inaugural seat in Kerala’s Thrissur during this year’s Lok Sabha elections, heightening its prospects for Palakkad.
Varier ran for the 2021 Assembly elections in Shornur, Palakkad district, securing 24.34% of the votes. His defiance towards the BJP, declared through a post on Facebook, coincides with the resurgence of a 2021 election funding controversy that is causing trouble for the party.
Allegations surfaced last week from Thiroor Satheesh, a former BJP office secretary in Thrissur, suggesting that certain hawala funds supposedly “looted” during the elections were intended for the party. In his claims, he implicated BJP Kerala president K Surendran and insinuated that his actions were influenced by party state vice-president Shobha Surendran.
Surendran stated he has no grounds to doubt Shobha, who, in turn, refuted the allegation.
Surendran, the president of BJP in Kerala, downplayed the significance of Varier’s actions on Monday, suggesting that Varier was on the verge of leaving. “We are closely monitoring the situation… We will observe how far he takes it. We are not concerned about the election results,” stated Surendran.
Surendran questioned the invitation extended by CPI(M) leaders to Varier, stating, “Why align with a failing entity?
Varier’s absence from the BJP’s Palakkad campaign has not gone unnoticed, as party insiders reveal his feeling of being sidelined by senior leaders despite his significant contributions. He notably led the party’s campaign in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, where senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was a contestant.
Varier allegedly faced rejection from attending a political convention in Palakkad, as reported by a source just a few days ago.
Varier took to Facebook to declare his decision to distance himself from the BJP campaign. He expressed his disillusionment with the party, citing the lack of a support system for individuals like himself who feel marginalized and overlooked within the organization. While affirming his membership in the party, Varier made it clear that he would not actively participate in campaigning for the candidate in Palakkad.
He mentioned the significance of self-esteem, noting that personal dignity plays a crucial role in an individual’s life. Despite facing insults at the party, he emphasized his ability to remain composed, highlighting that he does not easily get agitated over minor setbacks such as being denied a seat at a convention. He further alluded to a series of interconnected incidents that have occurred.
Varier later mentioned to the media about a division within the party regarding candidate selection. He expressed to the party leadership that either K Surendran or (Shobha) should run from Palakkad to potentially overcome any local opposition.
In Palakkad, the Left is supporting Dr. P Sarin, a former Congress leader who is running as an Independent candidate. M V Govindan, the state secretary of CPI(M), extended an invitation to Varier to join their party, stating, “Anyone with a firm stance on Left politics is welcome.
The nomination of Rahul Mamkoottathil, the state president of the Youth Congress, by the Congress has stirred up internal strife similar to the situation triggered by Sarin’s exit, leading to growing concerns among local party leaders, mirroring the tensions within the BJP.
The Palakkad by-election was triggered when the Congress chose to nominate its incumbent MLA Shafi Parambil for the Lok Sabha polls. Parambil successfully ran and emerged victorious in Vadakara.
