‘Party backstabbed, victory tantamount to defeat,’ says former CPM MLA 

PATHANAMTHITTA: Former MLA and senior CPM leader K C Rajagopalan has openly accused his own party members for backstabbing him during the elections. He contested the Mezhuveli Grama Panchayat 8th ward in the local body elections and won by just 28 votes. Rajagopalan alleged that people from his own party are behind this. He also told the media that he will file a complaint with the leadership.

‘Kozhenchery area secretary T V Stalin led the backstabbing. That is why the majority was limited to just 28. There was backstabbing in the CPM. Earlier area secretary had lost from the ward from where I had won. There was a desire that the CPM should not win there again. What we have now is a victory equal to defeat. The UDF won by a majority in Mezhuveli Panchayat, which was with the CPM for years. The day before the polls, a picture of me with former Devaswom president Padmakumar, arrested in the gold theft case, was circulated. A complaint will be filed with the leadership. There was rivalry earlier. Now it is equal to winning and losing,' said K C Rajagopalan.

While K C Rajagopalan got 324 votes, UDF candidate Radhakrishnan managed to get 296 votes. Rajagopalan has served as the vice president and president of Mezhuveli panchayat. He entered the assembly as an MLA representing Aranmula constituency in 2006. He contested again in 2011, but was defeated. He is presently a member of the CITU state committee.