In a major jolt for the BJP ahead of a crucial  Palakkad assembly by-election, prominent youth leader in  Kerala, Sandeep Warrier, who is a familiar face in Malayalam TV channel discussions, on Saturday joined the Congress.

Sandeep joined the Congress at the district committee office in Palakkad in the presence of senior Congress leaders, including  KPCC president K Sudhakaran and Opposition leader V D Satheesan.  Sandeep, who was at loggerheads with the BJP state leadership for quite some time over alleged insults and neglect from the party, surprised the political circles by aligning with the Congress.

His defection to Congress in Kerala comes at inopportune moment for  the BJP as it faces crucial Palakkad bypoll.  With Sandeep’s exit, BJP loses one of its most aggressive defenders and public face in Kerala.

Sandeep’s departure from the BJP is the result of a growing rift with the party leadership, which escalated after he was denied a seat on the stage at an election convention in Palakkad. His issues deepened as he felt neglected and sidelined within the BJP. Earlier, he had been removed from key responsibilities, including his role as a party spokesperson,  Sandeep Warier had earlier also told reporters that BJP’s top leadership could have solved the issue in a phone call but nobody did that.

Addressing the media, after his formal entry into the grand old party, Sandeep Warrier said BJP  state president K Surendran and his associates are  responsible for his decision to quit  the BJP.

“I have felt suffocated in the BJP. Party state president K Surendran is responsible for my decision to quit BJP.  My mistake was that I opposed the BJP deal with CPI-M in Kerala. I opposed the stalling of the probe by the Directrorate of Enforcement (ED) in the Karuvannur  cooperative bank scam case, involved by CPI-M leaders in exchange of diluting the Kodakara money by Kerala police. My drawback was that I was not in the call list of Dharmarajan (a leader accused of being involved in transporting BJP’s election fund which was looted ahead of the assembly elections of 2021),”  Sandeep  said.

The Opposition has alleged that the probe by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the Karuvannur  cooperative bank  scam case was stalled due to the unholy nexus between the CPI-M and BJP.

The opposition also alleged that due to the CPI-M, BJP collusion , the Kerala police have not properly probed the Kodakara money heist case

Sandeep said that he never turned against the BJP despite being subjected to heinous cyberbullying.

“I strained my throat giving public speeches for the BJP, explored all possibilities of language, and used tough words to defend the party. It was not for my personal gains but for my organisation. In return, I was isolated and constantly hunted. Today, if I find myself draped with the Congress shawl, BJP state president K Surendran and his team are responsible,” he said

“The BJP leadership should answer how the 17 accused in the Srinivasan murder case got bail…. Why not present a good lawyer for the victim Srinivasan? Who played behind? … BJP cadres should know that it is not me who has betrayed the sacrificers, it is among you….
The title of traitor belongs to the BJP leadership, not to me…

Responding to the allegation of some BJP leaders that he betrayed the ‘balidanis (martyrs)’, Sandeep said, “The BJP leadership should answer how the 17 workers of the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI) in the case relating to the murder  of RSS leader Sreenivasan of Palakkad, got bail  from the Kerala High court . While prominent  lawyers, including  those practicing in   Supreme court appeared for the accused PFI workers, no supreme court lawyer appeared for the victim. Why not present a good lawyer for the victim Srinivasan? Who played behind? .BJP cadres should know that it is not me who has betrayed the balidanees,it is among you.The title of  betrayer  belongs to the BJP leadership, not to me,” he said.

Kerala BJP President K Surendran said the exit of Warrier would not have any effect on the party.

“I wish him all the best and may he have a long career in the Congress. This is not going to have any bearing in the Palakkad by-election as the Congress is going to end up in distress,” said Surendran.