THIRUVNANTHAPURAM: The UDF in Kerala, led by Congress, was bolstered on Saturday when Sandeep Varier, a member of the BJP state committee and a well-known spokesman in prime time TV news debates, joined the party before the Palakkad assembly by-election.
Varier expressed his immense joy at joining a place filled with love. “I was ashamed to have labored in a factory that fostered hatred and discord all day,” he remarked, alluding to the BJP’s divisive politics. BJP state president K Surendran mocked Sandeep’s decision, saying, “Let him get a bigger chair in Congress.” Meanwhile, BJP Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar downplayed the incident, describing it as “an irrelevant person joining an irrelevant party.
Earlier, Sandeep Varier was welcomed by Kerala Pradesh Congress president K Sudhakaran and opposition leader V D Satheeshan at the party office.
“I am signing up for a membership in the abode of affection. My error was expecting love and care from a place that only manufactures animosity. Within the BJP, I often found myself in need of support. I had no desire to discuss religion or incite discord. I was penalized for a year over a Facebook post. If I am here today, donning the tricolour shawl of the Congress, it is K Surendran and his team who have led me to this juncture,” he stated.
Sandeep acknowledged that his error was opposing the CPM-BJP deal in Kerala. “My opposition was to the CPM’s leniency towards the Kodakara hawala case implicating BJP leaders, and the central agencies go slow approach on Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam involving Marxist leaders. The two parties had apparently struck a deal to help each other out. My crime was the absence of my name from Dharma Rajan’s call list, who is the prime suspect in the Kodakara hawala case,” he stated.
BJP State President K Surendran mocked Sandeep Varier’s switch to the Congress. He sarcastically remarked that Sandeep ought to receive larger chairs than those he had here. Additionally, K Surendran accused Sandeep of betraying the martyrs.
Sandeep Varier’s choice to join the Congress party was unexpected for the ruling LDF. CPM leaders, including central committee member A.K. Balan, had previously mentioned that Varier would be valuable to the Left Front if he decided to switch to the LDF. However, once Varier made his decision to join Congress, the CPM criticized the former BJP leader’s move. Local Self Government Minister M.B. Rajesh ridiculed Congress for welcoming a proponent of communalism. “Only Congress would welcome someone who has delivered numerous hate speeches. For a party that contributed silver bricks for the demolition of a mosque, Sandeep Varier will indeed be an asset,” he commented.
Sandeep received a warm welcome in Palakkad on Saturday evening. Hundreds of members from the youth wings of Congress and other UDF allies organized a grand roadshow. Varier was joined by Congress candidate Rahul Mamkootathil and various youth leaders.
Photo caption : Kerala PCC president K Sudhakaran welcoming former BJP leader Sandeep Varier in Palakkad on Saturday. Opposition leader V D Satheeshan, AICC incharge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi and V K Sreekantan MP are also seen.