Dr P Sarin.
Credit: Facebook/@Dr P Sarin
Thiruvananthapuram: With Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) digital media convener Dr P Sarin being expelled from the primary membership of the Congress for openly criticising the party over its candidate decision for Palakkad assembly seat in the upcoming bypoll, the CPI(M) is exploring the option of making him the party candidate.
Sarin, who openly accused the party leadership on Wednesday of deciding Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkoottathil as the Congress candidate without proper discussions, on Thursday criticised the leader of opposition V D Satheesan. Before his press conference ended, KPCC president K Sudhakaran issued order expelling Sarin from the party citing indiscipline and anti-organisation activities.
While Sarin told reporters that he would work with the Left front, CPI(M) leaders from Palakkad did not reject reports that Sarin would be considered as a candidate in Palakkad. CPI(M) Palakkad district secretary Suresh Babu said that he already had a word with Sarin.
Sarin told reporters that BJP leaders as well as dissident MLA P V Anvar had also contacted him.
BJP is pinning high hopes of making an entry to the Kerala Assembly by winning Palakkad as they came second in the last two Assembly polls. The party is even considering state president K Surendran as candidate this time. The fresh developments in the Congress, which has been holding the Palakkad seat since 2011, could further brighten the hopes in BJP camps.
In a damage control bid, Congress is accusing Sarin of holding talks with BJP and CPI(M) even while he was in the Congress. "How can the Congress even consider a person who was holding talks with CPI(M) and BJP as a Congress candidate. Sarin was never considered as a candidate," Satheesan said.
Sarin had accused Satheesan of creating caucuses in the Congress. "Satheesan is solely responsible for destroying the Congress party in Kerala," he said.