Senior Congress leader and former MLA P P Sulaiman Rawther joins CPM

IDUKKI: In another setback to the congress party, former MLA and KPCC executive member P P Sulaiman Rawther on Thursday quit the party and joined the CPM. Rawther resigned his membership from the 25-member election campaign committee chaired by Ramesh Chennithala and joined the CPM after announcing his support for the Left Front candidates.

The left must be strengthened to stop right-wing racism and fascism. Rawther said that he is no longer in the Congress party. Membership was not renewed. Rawther entered public service through Congress while he was a KSU leader at Thodupuzha Newman College. He was state treasurer when V M Sudheeran was youth congress state president and state general secretary when Mullapally Ramachandran was the president.

Rawther had contested in Idukki as LDF candidate in 1982 but lost by 1200 votes. In 1996, he became LDF MLA from Idukki defeating the present UDF convener Joy Vettikuzhy. He also contested twice as an independent from Idukki constituency. The leaders believe that the arrival of Rawther, who has extensive friendships and operational experience, joining the CPM will strengthen the left candidate's victory.