Kerala bypolls : Congress seeks to capitalise on BJP infighting; woos disgruntled leaders

DCC president A Thankappan said the BJP councillors are yet to spell out their stand in this regard.

Palakkad: Amidst the rift in Kerala BJP over the party's loss in the Palakkad Assembly by-poll, the Congress on Tuesday tried to cash in on the opportunity by inviting dissident leaders of the saffron party to its fold.

The displeasure openly expressed by the Chairperson and many councillors of the BJP-ruled Palakkad Municipality over the selection of C Krishnakumar as the party candidate in the Assembly by-poll, prompted the grand old party to make the political move.

The district leadership of the Congress made it clear that if the BJP councillors wish to renounce Hindutva and embrace the Congress ideology, they would be welcomed.

Senior Congress leader and Palakkad MP, V K Sreekandan and DCC president A Thankappan extended the invitation through the media.

However, they said they didn't hold any talks with any of the BJP councillors in this regard, and the matter would be taken up only after they expressed willingness to quit the saffron party.

Thankappan said the BJP councillors are yet to spell out their stand in this regard.

"We can take a call (on inviting them) only when they say clearly, like Sandeep G Varier, that they cannot adjust with the ideology of the BJP anymore and they believe in the ideology of the Congress," he told media.

The DCC president, however, made it clear that the Congress party is already strong and it does not need anyone from outside to strengthen it.

But if anyone expresses their desire to join the Congress, they would not be kept waiting at the doorstep. The portals of the party would be thrown open for them, he added.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and party candidate in the Palakkad by-poll, Krishnakumar rejected the reports of discontentment among BJP councillors in the district and said some of them reacted emotionally on Monday, and now they were convinced of the party stand.

He was replying to a question about the criticism by the party's municipal chairperson, Prameela Sasidharan, about the candidate selection.

"She has reacted emotionally, and now she is convinced about the party's stand. There are no differences of opinion in the party. Even if there is anything, we will sort it out," he said here.

BJP national council member N Sivarajan also dismissed reports of the resentment among the BJP councillors and the Congress's attempt to woo them post the by-polls.

A significant loss in the BJP's vote share in the recent by-election in Palakkad Assembly triggered strong reactions on Monday from the local leaders, who raised questions on the selection of the candidate and criticised the state party president, K Surendran, who was, however, backed by the national leadership.

Veteran leaders, including Sivarajan publicly criticised Surendran, the candidate C Krishnakumar, and election in-charge P Raghunath over the vote loss.

They also urged the party leadership to ascertain whether there were shortcomings in the candidate selection process in Palakkad, where the party has a strong presence in the state.

Amid mounting criticism, Surendran held a press conference in Kozhikode and had said that he took moral responsibility for the setbacks.

Meanwhile, rubbishing reports that Surendran had expressed willingness to quit taking moral responsibility for the defeat in Palakkad, the central BJP accused the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF of "spreading rumours." In the by-poll, BJP's Krishnakumar secured 39,549 votes (28.63 per cent), while Congress candidate Mamkootathil won with 58,389 votes (42.27 per cent). CPI(M)-backed P Sarin garnered 37,293 votes (27 per cent).