Palakkad: P Sarin, a young Congress leader who was one among the aspirants for the Palakkad assembly seat which is going to polling station on November 13 has warned the Congress leadership of the repetition of the Haryana assembly poll results in Palakkad if the right candidate is not chosen.
Dr P Sarin in effect has called for the revision of candidate list of the Congress and thus pointing to the rift within the party over candidate selection.
“Palakkad can only be won if the party corrects its course; otherwise, we risk losing. There remains hope for the party’s decision until the last moment. The approach to decision-making within the party has changed. I wrote a letter to the Congress President and Rahul Gandhi yesterday, outlining the advantages of selecting me as a candidate. We must secure a victory in Palakkad, or it will reflect poorly on Rahul Gandhi, not just on Rahul Mamkoottathil.
Sarin warned that if the interests of a few continue to undermine the party, Congress could face dire consequences in the elections.
Speaking at a press meet on Wednesday, Sarin warned that failure to make these changes could result in a repeat of the party’s setbacks experienced during the Haryana assembly polls.
Shafi parambil and Palakkad DCC dismiss Sarin’s statements
Meanwhile, Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil who is believed to have proposed the candidature of Rahul Mamkoottathil dismissed the claims of Sarin and stated that Rahul’s candidature was decided by the party central leadership and insisted that it is not anyone’s personal choice.
“Rahul’s candidature was decided by the party. He is well accepted as he is already accepted by the public and party members and leaders. He is not anyone’s personal choice”, said Shafi Parambil to the media.
Meanwhile, the rift within the Congress with young leader and social media convenor P Sarin openly questioning the party leadership and the Palakkad DCC over candidate selection has become a headache for the party. Senior leaders have begun efforts to intervene in the matter and hold talks with Sarin who has questioned the candidate selection in Palakkad.
Sarin, who joined the Congress in 2016 after resigning from the civil service, expressed frustration over the party’s candidate selection process. He noted that activists have high expectations for candidates and criticised the lack of support he received from the party, despite his active engagement on social media tools such as Facebook and Instagram.
