Palakkad: In a blow to the Congress in Kerala, former Youth Congress leader AK Shanib on Tuesday announced that he will contest the Palakkad assembly seat by-election as an independent candidate. Shanib had announced his resignation from the party last week in protest against the nomination of Youth Congress President Rahul Mamkootathil from this seat. He announced his candidature at a press conference here.
He said he would file his nomination on October 24. The need to hold by-election on this seat has arisen after the outgoing MLA and Congress leader Shafi Parambil was elected to the Lok Sabha from Vadakara seat in the recent parliamentary elections.
Reiterating his allegations against Leader of Opposition in the Assembly VD Satheesan and Parambil, Shanib said he had taken the decision only after ensuring that his candidature does not benefit the BJP in any way.
Shanib had earlier accused Satheesan along with “two others” of “capturing” the party and shifting Parambil from Palakkad to Vadakara Lok Sabha seat to conduct by-elections in Palakkad to benefit the BJP.
P. Sarin, former convenor of the digital media unit of the Congress, had also made similar serious allegations against Satheesan and Parambil. He is a CPI(M) supported independent candidate from Palakkad. Sarin has already been expelled from the party.