Fourth time’s the charm, Cong leader E A Shankaran joins BJP in fresh political shift

Kalpetta: In a fresh political shift, Congress leader and national coordinator of the Tribal Congress, E A Shankaran, joined the BJP on Tuesday. He was inducted into the party by BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar at a function in Kozhikode, the BJP state committee said in a statement.

Shankaran, whose name had been doing the rounds as a potential UDF candidate from Sulthan Bathery, had earlier drawn attention for switching to the Congress from the CPM a few years ago. Interestingly, he began his political career in the Congress before moving to the CPM, where he later became a leader of the Adivasi Kshema Samithy, its tribal wing.

His latest move comes amid reported dissatisfaction over the Congress decision to field I C Balakrishnan for a third consecutive term from Sulthan Bathery. Though the party had projected Shankaran as a possible candidate, his electoral prospects were seen as uncertain.

Reacting to his exit, Congress leaders downplayed the development, noting his history of shifting between parties. Shankaran, however, said he joined the BJP citing the failure of both major fronts to ensure development in Wayanad. He alleged that despite the UDF winning the Sulthan Bathery seat twice, development in the constituency had stalled. Highlighting the lack of rail and air connectivity and inadequate healthcare facilities in the district, he said he hopes the BJP’s development agenda will bring change in Wayanad.