I am not a well-known Congressman; came to know about Varier’s arrival through tv: K Muraleedharan

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan said on Sunday that even if Sandeep Varier had not joined the Congress, the party would still win the upcoming by-election by a large margin. He explained that he had expressed his disagreement regarding Varier's entry into the party for two specific reasons.

Taking a dig at the congress leadership for sidelining him, Murali said that he is not a well known Congress leader and only an ordinary worker. “I came to know about Sandeep Varier’s joining the Congress through television. I have no objections to BJP leaders joining Congress. I would even welcome figures like Suresh Gopi, Rajeev Chandrasekhar or George Kurien if they decided to join,” he said.

“It’s quite common in a democracy for individuals to switch parties, and there’s nothing surprising about it. I’ve heard that some BJP councilors from Palakkad are also joining Congress, and I would welcome them as well,” Muraleedharan added.

However, he said that he had two issues with Varier’s inclusion. “The first is that Varier justified the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The second is that he personally criticised Rahul Gandhi. There are two types of criticism: political and personal. His criticism of BJP state president K. Surendran was political, and we acknowledge that. But his attack on Rahul Gandhi was purely personal,” Muraleedharan explained.

Muraleedharan emphasised that it was these two points that had led him to voice his concerns about Varier's joining Congress. “Now, the party has made its decision. From yesterday onwards, Sandeep Varier is a Congressman, and since he met Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, he is now also a member of the UDF. There is no need for further discussion on this matter,” Muraleedharan concluded.

Regarding the Palakkad by-election on November 20, Muraleedharan expressed confidence in the Congress party's success. “Whoever joins or leaves, the Congress will not be affected. We are moving forward with confidence. I have studied the situation in Palakkad, and we will win this election comfortably,” he said.

“I have come to know about Varier’s arrival through television. That much is enough. I am not a well known leader in the Congress party. I am only an ordinary worker. Since Congress has decided to accept Varier,  I would also happily oblige as a disciplined party worker”, said Muraleedharan.