LDF-backed Thrissur mayor justifies receiving cake from BJP chief, criticises CPI leader

Thrissur (Kerala), Dec 28 (PTI) LDF-backed Thrissur Mayor M K Varghese on Saturday accused CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar of making baseless allegations against him and questioned whether the former minister’s intention was to push him toward joining the BJP.

He alleged that Sunil Kumar seemed uninterested in him working with the ruling CPI(M), cooperating with the Left Democratic Front, and bringing changes to Thrissur by implementing new projects.

Varghese’s criticism came a day after Sunil Kumar vehemently attacked him over his meeting with BJP state president K Surendran on Christmas Day.

Sunil Kumar had contested as the LDF candidate from the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in the general election this year and lost to BJP's Suresh Gopi, who later became a union minister.

A former minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led cabinet, Sunil Kumar claimed on Friday that receiving a cake from Surendran was part of a planned political move.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the Mayor rejected the allegations and said that the CPI leadership had not sought any explanation from him over the issue.

He also mentioned that many of the councillors were convinced that the controversy was unnecessary, and that sharing a cake was not a "big deal".

Claiming that he didn’t understand Sunil Kumar’s real intentions, the Mayor said he had doubts about whether the CPI leader’s goal was to get him expelled from his current position and push him toward the BJP.

Varghese accused Sunil Kumar of trying to make him a scapegoat for his loss in the recent Lok Sabha polls in Thrissur.

He also defended BJP state chief Surendran’s visit and the sharing of a cake on Christmas Day.

"I am convinced that Surendran's visit with the cake was very sincere," the Mayor said.

Varghese also urged Sunil Kumar to explain BJP state president Surendran’s revelation that the CPI leader had visited his house in Ulliyeri in Kozhikode, and in turn, he had visited Sunil Kumar's house in Anthikad in this district.

Hours after the Mayor’s strong-worded reply, Sunil Kumar stood by his statements but said he did not wish to add anything more.

"I have said things very clearly, and there is no doubt about that. I don’t want to create any fresh controversy or offer a new reply," he told reporters.

CPI district secretary K K Valsan also sought to tone down the row, stating that there was no need to "politicise people sharing sweets during festivals and celebrations".

"It should be seen as a personal matter... There is no need to see politics in it... That is CPI's stand," he said.

The controversy reignited after CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar told a TV channel on Friday that the issue was not about the cake but reflected a larger concern regarding Varghese retaining the Mayor's post despite his apparent allegiance to the BJP.

The CPI had previously demanded Varghese’s removal, citing his allegedly shifting political loyalties.

Varghese had also faced earlier criticism for meeting and welcoming Suresh Gopi, the BJP candidate at the time.

During the BJP's Sneha Sandesha Yathra campaign, Surendran visited Varghese and offered him a Christmas cake, which sparked a political backlash.

Sunil Kumar alleged that the gesture was deliberate, stating, "K Surendran did not offer cakes to any other mayor." He further claimed that Varghese, who was appointed under unique political circumstances, had previously worked for the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections.

In the 55-member council, both the LDF and UDF hold 24 seats each, with the BJP holding six, making Varghese’s position as an independent councillor crucial to the balance of power.

Malayalam actor and BJP leader Suresh Gopi defeated CPI candidate Sunil Kumar by a margin of 74,686 votes in the Thrissur constituency in the Lok Sabha elections. PTI LGK SSK ROH