The Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF) election campaign seemingly faced a challenging day on April 6 (Saturday) in at least two key Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala.
In Thiruvananthapuram, the perceived despondency in Congress ranks following the defections of two senior grassroots-level leaders to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last month, coupled with a tangible lack of campaign funds, arguably turned to despair as another Congress veteran left the party to join the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].
On Saturday, the CPI(M) welcomed Vellanad Sasi, a Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) executive member and well-known leader in Thiruvananthapuram district, into its fold with much fanfare. The Congress quickly expelled him from the party and sought to downplay the defection.
