Kerala polls 2026: PK Sasi’s victory a prestige issue for Congress, says VD Satheesan

PALAKKAD: CPM rebel and Ottapalam UDF-backed independent candidate P K Sasi's victory is a prestige issue for Congress, said Opposition leader VD Satheesan on Wednesday.Speaking at the UDF election convention in Ottapalam, Satheesan said, "When we emerge victorious by winning more than 100 seats, P K Sasi will be there to lead from the front in Ottapalam."He said, "Sasi's symbol is coconut grove, but you should consider him to be standing for the hand symbol.""We are in the middle of a big war and will win it. We don't have much money to put up any boards. People say that if they see Pinarayi Vijayan's flex boards, they will instead vote for UDF. The Oommen Chandy-govt provided five lakh houses in five years from 2011 to 2016. But LDF govt is denying it. We are challenging them to release the figures for 2011-16," he said. Communist party is now an extreme right-wing party, he added.Later, Sasi called Satheesan a ‘prince of stance' as he took a strong stand on issues. "My first request was that Satheesan should come to inaugurate the convention. Even when I was in the ruling party, I had such admiration and love for this man that I would carefully watch his every word when he raised issues in the assembly," he said.