E P Jayarajan in Palakkad to campaign for LDF's Sarin

PTI Palakkad: Former LDF convener E P Jayarajan on Thursday arrived here to campaign for P Sarin, LDF's independent candidate in the Palakkad by-poll, in the wake of news reports that his candidacy was criticised by the CPI(M) veteran in his purported autobiography. After reaching Palakkad, Jayarajan, at a press conference, accused the Congress of playing "dirty politics" by "conspiring to create the controversy to harm the chances of the LDF" in the Palakkad and Chelakkara assembly by-elections, where the Left has a good chance of winning.

While Jayarajan and Sarin, the former digital media convener of the Congress, said that his arrival had nothing to do with the controversial book, the opposition UDF contended that the Left veteran was directed to join the Palakkad bypoll campaign due to the contents of his purported autobiography. "Otherwise, why did he (Jayarajan) not campaign for Sarin till now?" Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan asked while speaking to a TV channel here. He said that Jayarajan's arrival in Palakkad to campaign for Sarin would not change what the CPI(M) leader has said about the LDF candidate in his book. Refuting the opposition allegations, Jayarajan said that he was still writing his autobiography and has not authorised anyone to publish it. However, he will be speeding up its publication in the prevailing circumstances, the Left veteran said. He also said none of the things mentioned in the purported book, as per news reports, were there in his autobiography.

Jayarajan also lavished praise on Sarin by saying that he was a medical professional who gave up a high paying job to work for the masses as he was someone with a Leftist mindset even though he was part of the Congress. The CPI(M) veteran said that Sarin left Congress as he could no longer accept the grand old party's alleged actions of siding with communal forces, corrupt practices and lack of concern for the development of the state and the country. Sarin was removed from the Congress following his public expression of discontent over the party's decision to select Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil as the UDF candidate in the Palakkad assembly bypoll.