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Cong leader Shanib to contest independently, slams state leadership
While the Palakkad seat fell vacant after Congress MLA Shafi Parambil was elected to the Lok Sabha, Chelakkara seat is heading for a bypoll after MLA K Radhakrishnan of the CPI(M) won in the Lok Sabha elections from Alathur.
Former Youth Congress general secretary AK Shanib announced his intentions on Tuesday to contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming Palakkad Assembly bypoll after lashing out at the functioning of the current party leadership, particularly former MLA and current Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil and Leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan.
Shanib’s rebellion is expected to add to the troubles of the Congress party in the two Assembly constituencies heading for bypolls on November 13. In the Chelakkara constituency, former Congress leader NK Sudheer was pitched as a candidate by the PV Anvar MLA-led Democratic Movement of Kerala (DMK).
While the Palakkad seat fell vacant after Congress MLA Shafi Parambil was elected to the Lok Sabha, Chelakkara seat is heading for a bypoll after MLA K Radhakrishnan of the CPI(M) won in the Lok Sabha elections from Alathur.
At a press conference in Palakkad on Tuesday, Shanib accused Satheesan and Parambil of taking unilateral decisions within the party with regard to the bypoll candidature and silencing voices of others in the organisation.
“After Oommen Chandy passed away, there’s no one to hear our problems anymore. I am speaking out right now after witnessing the drama being played by Congress leaders in his name. Shafi Parambil and VD Satheesan are taking all the decisions. If anyone tries to raise a voice, they are silenced. Even the Congress state president is publicly mocked by Satheesan,” Shanib told reporters.
“So I have decided to file my nomination papers on Thursday and contest the election. My decision to contest is to register a protest against Satheesan and Parambil’s politics of helping the BJP grow here. Instead of opposing the BJP, they are helping the BJP,” he added.
Meanwhile, PV Anvar-led DMK said that it will decide by Thursday whether to withdraw its candidates in the two Assembly bypolls in order to prevent a split of anti-CPM and anti-BJP votes.
Anvar had put forward a proposal to the Congress whereby he said he would withdraw his candidate Mihin Haji in Palakkad if the latter pulls out its candidate Ramya Haridas in Chelakkara. VD Satheesan of the Congress responded saying that Anvar was not “big enough” to challenge the Congress or ask it to withdraw its candidates.
“He should not tell such jokes. We will have no such deal with him,” Satheesan told reporters.
In Palakkad, Congress candidate Rahul Mamkootathil faces CPM’s P Sarin and BJP’s C Krishnakumar. Sarin is a former Youth Congress leader and digital cell convenor who crossed over to the LDF after he was denied a shot in the Palakkad bypoll. The presence of rebels like Shanib, who is expected to cut into Congress votes, is a headache for the party as it aims to retain a constituency it won in 2021 by a slim margin of just over 3500 votes. The BJP came second in Palakkad in the last two elections and is aiming to win the constituency this time and make a debut in the current Kerala Assembly.
Palakkad, Chelakkara and the Wayanad LS constituencies will witness polling on November 13. The votes will be counted on November 23.
