Kerala: BJP President K Surendran hints at action against Sandeep Varier for public criticism

BJP's Kerala unit may take action against Sandeep Varier for publicly criticizing the party leadership and Palakkad candidate C. Krishnakumar. Earlier, Sandeep Varier claimed humiliation, announcing he won't campaign in Palakkad, prompting an emergency meeting of the party.

Palakkad: State BJP President K Surendran has suggested that the party may take action against Sandeep Varier following his public criticism of the BJP leadership and Palakkad candidate C. Krishnakumar. This comes after a controversy erupted over Varier's Facebook post, in which he announced he would not campaign in Palakkad due to alleged humiliation. In response to the situation, an emergency meeting was convened at the BJP office in Palakkad.

Surendran mentioned he had not yet seen Varier's Facebook post but would read it before commenting further. He emphasized that he would determine whether the post maintained the expected decorum for the election period and indicated he would address the media again if the post is inappropriate. This implies that disciplinary action against Varier could be forthcoming.

During the meeting, Surendran and candidate C. Krishnakumar were present. Krishnakumar stated that no dedicated party worker would abstain from campaigning, noting he had not yet seen Varier's post and would respond once he did. He also expressed his intention to speak directly with Sandeep Varier, contradicting the claim that Krishnakumar had not reached out to Sandeep after his mother's passing.

In a related development, Minister MB Rajesh commented that the party would welcome Sandeep Varier should he choose to leave the BJP. He said that Sandeep Varier is yet to clarify his position, adding that changing political affiliations is acceptable and that the CPM is open to those who reject fascist ideologies. He emphasized that personal matters is not up for discussion during election campaigns.