Congress leader A. B. Sabu announced here on Saturday that he would join the CPI(M).
Groups within the Congress in Kerala had made it difficult to carry out political work “respectably,” he said. Politics centred around personal interests and individuals in the Congress in the State had prompted his exit from the party, and propelled him towards the LDF that prioritises people’s welfare, he said.
Mr. Sabu is a former councillor and standing committee chairperson of the Kochi corporation and had served as general secretary of the District Congress Committee, besides being a member of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
The Congress leadership, both nationally and in the State, had weakened, he said. Leaders of the Congress ‘I’ and ‘A’ groups in Kerala would make it difficult for KPCC President K. Sudhakaran to function effectively, Mr. Sabu claimed. As long as the All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) encourages these groups and lends an ear to their issues, factionalism within the Congress will not end, he said.
Prior to the Assembly elections, Mr. Sabu had publicly raised allegations of corruption against K. Babu, the UDF candidate from the Thripunithura constituency who went on to win the seat. Mr. Sabu had declared then that the UDF would not win from Thripunithura, and Mr. Babu’s candidature would be favourable for the BJP.
The UDF Thripunithura Assembly constituency committee had later asked the KPCC to expel Mr. Sabu for the stand he took before the polls.
