BJP dissident Sandeep Varier’s defection to Congress in Kerala comes at inopportune moment for party as it faces crucial Palakkad bypoll

Desertion of one of its most aggressive defenders and public face formerly has come at an inopportune moment for BJP’s State leadership, which had purportedly struggled to put up a united face in the wake of disputes over candidate selection for Palakkad bypoll

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala appeared to have been dealt a fresh blow from within its ranks, with the high-profile defection of aggrieved party spokesperson Sandeep Varier to the Congress on Saturday (November 16, 2024) in the final phase of the spirited campaigning for the Palakkad Assembly bypoll.

The desertion of one of its most aggressive defenders and public face formerly has come at an inopportune moment for the BJP’s State leadership, which had purportedly struggled to put up a united face in the wake of disputes over candidate selection for the bypoll.

The Congress also appeared mindful that Mr. Varier hailed from an influential community, constituting a significant electoral bloc in the Palakkad Assembly constituency, and reportedly sensed it had hit a political jackpot.

Mr. Varier’s desertion capped an emotionally fraught season of disillusionment with the BJP’s State leadership, chiefly the party’s State president, K. Surendran.

Mr. Varier had earned a section of the BJP State leadership’s ire for his controversial social media posts critical of the party’s helmspersons.

Mr. Varier, who was reportedly one of the BJP’s top choices for the Palakkad seat, publicly objected to C. Krishnakumar’s candidacy and suggested that Mr. Surendran and Shobha Surendran stood a better fighting chance in the bypoll. Mr. Varier pointedly singled out Mr. Surendran for criticism.

He appeared to lend credence to the Congress’ electoral narrative by alleging that the BJP’s State leadership had struck “a secret accord” with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to extricate itself from the Kodakara hawala and the Manjeswaram election bribery cases. 

Mr. Varier alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) quietly dropped the money-laundering case against CPI(M) leaders implicated in the Karuvannur cooperative bank scam as a quid pro quo. 

The BJP’s Kerala in-charge, Prakash Javadekar, seemed to dispel the speculation that Mr. Varier’s attempt to target Mr. Surendran’s allegedly “autocratic and insensitive” functioning style could further widen the purported fissures in the party. “An irrelevant person has defected to an irrelevant party”, he said.

Won’t impact poll prospects: Surendran

Mr. Surendran said Mr. Varier’s defection would not impact the electoral prospects of the BJP in Palakkad nor influence the party’s rank and file. 

CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said Mr. Varier had discussions with various parties after falling out with the BJP’s leadership. He denied that the CPI(M) rolled out a red carpet for Mr. Varier. 

“The CPI(M) will not hold a person’s political past against the individual if they correct course and align with Left ideals as evinced in the nomination of former Congress leader P. Sarin as the LDF’s Independent candidate in Palakkad. Such accommodations are not private arrangements and solely depend on policy,” said Mr. Govindan.

Published - November 16, 2024 01:49 pm IST