Palakkad: Dissident Kerala BJP leader Sandeep G. Varier joined the Congress on Saturday, ahead of the November 20 Palakkad Assembly by-poll. Congress leaders, including KPCC chief K. Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan, welcomed him by draping shawls at the party's office in Palakkad.
"I am taking membership in the 'shop of love,'" Sandeep said during a press conference alongside Congress leaders. He expressed regret for expecting support and affection from an organization that, according to him, thrives on fostering hatred. Sandeep claimed that BJP state president K. Surendran was the primary reason for his exit from the saffron party.
"K. Surendran and his team are the sole reasons I joined Congress," he said, adding that he became disillusioned with the BJP due to its alleged compromises with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Sandeep also stated that he was abandoned by the BJP for opposing the Karuvannur cooperative bank scam. "The idea of Congress is the idea of India," he remarked.
In the 2021 and 2016 Assembly elections, the BJP came second in Palakkad. In 2021, 'Metro Man' E. Sreedharan, who was the BJP candidate, narrowly lost to Congress’s Shafi Parambil by 3,859 votes.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K. Surendran dismissed Varier's departure, stating it would have no impact on the party.
Earlier this month, Varier had announced his decision not to campaign for BJP candidate C. Krishnakumar in the by-election. He voiced grievances about being "humiliated" and ignored by the party during campaign events.
The Election Commission postponed the Palakkad Assembly by-poll from November 13 to November 20, citing the Kalpathi Ratholsavam festival. The by-poll was necessitated after Congress MLA Shafi Parambil was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Vadakara constituency.
