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

BJP spokesperson Sandeep Varier defects to Congress in Kerala, impacting party dynamics ahead of 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.