Congress welcomes 18 BJP councilors in Palakkad municipality to party fold

Amid the outburst in the BJP following the defeat of the party candidate in the Palakkad by-election, the Congress welcomed the BJP councilors in the Palakkad municipal council to the grand old party.

DCC President A Thankappan and VK Sreekandan MP said on Monday that the Congress would welcome 18 councilors of the BJP in the Palakkad municipal council who are at loggerheads with the BJP leadership, to the Congress.

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V K Sreekandan said the Congress is welcoming all the disgruntled  BJP councilors, including the mayor as the people’s representatives cannot continue in the BJP. DCC president Thankappan said the councilors would be  given membership to the Congress if they approve Congress’ ideology.

The BJP councillors in the Palakkad municipality openly came out against the BJP leadership after the Surendran group stated that 18 councillors’ non-cooperation was the reason for the party’s Palakkad defeat.

Refuting the charge, Municipal Chairperson Pramila Sasidharan said in Palakkad on Monday that the reason for the defeat of the BJP in Palakkad was the flaw in candidate selection. If the decision of the leadership is to go ahead with this charge, the move of the councillors is to go for collective resignation. Krishnakumar.

BJP National Council member N Sivarajan also came out against  K Surendram and  Palakkad BJP election-in-charge P  Raghunath for their move to place the responsibility for the huge defeat in Palakkad on the shoulders of the 18 BJP councilors of the municipal council. N Sivarajan also challenged Krishnakumar to reveal his assets.