Palakkad bypoll: Sarin's 'handshake campaign' after Cong leaders don't shake hands with him

Palakkad: The ruling CPI(M)'s independent candidate in Palakkad by-poll, P Sarin, on Tuesday started a "handshake campaign" to highlight his rival and former party colleague Rahul Mamkootathil's decision to not shake hands with him at an event here recently.

Sarin said the campaign was not a protest, but a question to the people of Palakkad as to whether Mamkootathil's action was a model to be followed or not.

A day ago, at a marriage function here, Congress MP from Vadakara Shafi Parambil and Mamkootathil greeted former party leader A V Gopinathan, but did not shake the hand offered by Sarin who was standing nearby and walked away even as he called them from behind, according to visuals aired by TV channels.

Referring to the incident, Sarin said, "It (the handshake campaign) will help us to gauge the public reaction to what happened and also whether people think we did anything wrong. Whether they apologise to me or not, they should apologise to the people." He also said Mamkootathil's action will now deter people from offering him a handshake when they see him.

Sarin also took a dig at the UDF candidate, saying that he jumps and dances like a "baby monkey" to the directions and tunes of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan and Parambil.

According to visuals shown by TV channels, Parambil and Mamkootathil, right after ignoring Sarin's handshake, had termed the Left candidate's move as "an act aimed at creating news".

"I have integrity in my actions. I cannot act in this manner to create news for TV channels," Mamkootathil said, referring to Sarin's offer of a handshake.

Sarin, who was the Congress' Digital Media Convener, was expelled from the party following his revolt by questioning Mamkootathil's candidacy for the Palakkad by-poll.

Subsequently, the CPI(M) took him into its fold and nominated him as its independent candidate for the Palakkad assembly seat.

The Election Commission of India has postponed the Palakkad Assembly bypoll from November 13 to November 20, citing the Kalpathi Ratholsavam festival.

The by-election for the seat was necessitated by the election of sitting MLA and Congress leader Shafi Parambil to the Lok Sabha from the Vadakara constituency in the recent parliamentary polls.