KPCC Social Media Cell Convener Dr. P Sarin, on Wednesday, slammed the Congress leadership for its choice of candidate for the Palakkad assembly bypoll.
Dr. Sarin openly voiced his discontent with the party’s choice for the candidature for the by-election.
Addressing a press conference in Palakkad, Sarin accused the Congress party’s leadership of yielding to the demands of a select few and cautioned that such decisions could lead to outcomes similar to those seen in Haryana
He said he had sent a letter to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday requesting the review of the candidate selection. “I respectfully urge party leadership to look at the ground realities of Palakkad instead of yielding to the preferences of a single individual,” he said in the letter
Sarin said that the leadership still has the opportunity to amend this decision. “If they do not, it will not only be Rahul Mamkoottathil who suffers the consequences but also Rahul Gandhi,” he added.
“If we discuss and say that Rahul is the best candidate, we can accept it,” he said.
Hours after the Election Commission announced the date for the bypolls on Tuesday, Congress declared that AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi would contest from Wayanad, the Lok Sabha seat vacated by her brother Rahul Gandhi. The party also announced that Rahul Mamkootathil, the state president of the Youth Congress, will contest from Palakkad, assembly seat while Ramya Haridas, former Alathur MP, will seek a mandate from the Chelakkara assembly constituency
The Palakkad and Chelakkara bypolls were necessitated by the victories of Congress MLA Shafi Parambil and CPI-M MLA K. Radhakrishnan, who won the Vadakara and Alathur Lok Sabha seats, respectively.