C.R. Neelakandan, State convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was suspended from the party on Saturday.
“If they had told us earlier that the State unit should support the Left front, this confusion would not have happened,” he said immediately after the AAP’s national leadership revoked the State unit’s decision to support the UDF candidates in 11 constituencies. It also decided to extend unconditional support to Left candidates across the State.
Mr. Neelakandan said the confusion over whom to support in Kerala could have been avoided if the leadership made its position clear well in advance .
Announcing the State unit’s decision to support the UDF a few days ago, Mr. Neelakandan had said that a decision on whom to support in Vadakara and the remaining seven constituencies would be decided by the respective district committees later. The only LDF candidate AAP would support was V.P. Sanu in Malapuram, he had said.
“Initially, the national leadership had told us to support those capable of defeating the candidates of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The electoral scenario in each constituency in the State was different and the decision to support 11 candidates of the UDF was taken based on the feedback by district committees,” he said. “I accept the decision of the national leadership and will appeal against my suspension,” Mr. Neelakandan said.
A release issued by AAP anti-corruption wing blamed him for declaring the party’s support for certain candidates without consulting its national political affairs committee.