Former Youth Congress leader to contest independently in Kerala's Palakkad bypoll

Palakkad, Kerala: In a setback for the Congress in Kerala, former Youth Congress leader A K Shanib announced on Tuesday that he will contest as an independent candidate in the Palakkad Assembly bypoll.

Shanib, who last week declared his resignation from the grand old party in protest against the fielding of Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil for the seat, made his candidature official at a press conference held here.

He said that he would file his nomination on October 24.

The bypoll for the seat was necessitated by the election of sitting MLA and Congress leader Shafi Parambil to the Lok Sabha from the Vadakara constituency in the recent parliament polls.

Reiterating his allegations against the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, and Parambil, Shanib said that he made the decision only after ensuring that his candidature would not benefit the BJP in any way.

Shanib had earlier accused Satheesan of "hijacking" the party along with 'two others' and of shifting Parambil from Palakkad to Vadakara Lok Sabha seat to necessitate a by-election in Palakkad to benefit the BJP.

He had also said that there were many others in the party who were discontent with how things were "hijacked" by Satheesan and Parambil, but were afraid to speak out for various personal reasons.

Former Congress digital media convenor P Sarin, who also made similar serious allegations against Satheesan and Parambil, is the CPI(M)-backed independent candidate from Palakkad.

Sarin first and then Shanib had expressed dissatisfaction over the party decision to field Youth Congress state president Mamkootathil as the UDF candidate from Palakkad in the bypoll.

Sarin was expelled from the party at the same time he announced his intention to work with the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

On Saturday, October 19, Shabin raised a similar protest and announced his exit from the grand old party.