THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Friday said expelled Congress digital media convener P Sarin will contest as an independent Left candidate for the Palakkad assembly seat in the upcoming by-election there on November 13. Sarin was expelled from the primary membership of the Congress after he raised a protest against the party leadership over its candidate decision for the Palakkad assembly bypoll.

The decision to field him at Palakkad was announced by CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan at a press conference held here in the evening when he also said that party leader and former MLA, U R Pradeep, would be contesting for the Chelakkara assembly seat in the bypoll there.

“We are confident we will win in both seats,” he claimed. Bypolls are being held at Palakkad and Chelakkara assembly constituencies as the MLAs from there — Shafi Parambil and K Radhakrishnan respectively — were elected to the Lok Sabha this year.

While announcing its candidates for the bypolls, Govindan also said that wherever elections are held in the country, the BJP was the primary enemy of the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

“In Palakkad, we will defeat both the UDF and the BJP who have entered into a deal to ensure the victory of the saffron party there,” he said. Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil is the UDF candidate for the Palakkad assembly seat.