CC Mukundan, a rebel MLA who was expelled from the Communist Party of India (CPI), has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marking a major political shift ahead of the Kerala assembly elections.
Mr. Mukundan formally took over BJP membership after arriving at the party’s Thrissur district committee office on Monday. His move comes after reported attempts to join Congress failed.
The MLA is expected to fight the upcoming elections from Nattika constituency as a BJP candidate. After joining the party, Mr. Mukundan said he would prefer to contest for the BJP’s party symbol.
“I will remain loyal to the BJP. My aim is to work for the poor. It is part of the struggle,” Mr Mukundan said after formally joining the party.
Mr. Mukundan had earlier announced that he would contest the elections as an independent candidate, a move that led to his expulsion from the CPI. The CPI state leadership has already decided to field Geetha Gopi as the party candidate from Nattika.
After the announcement, Mr. Mukundan leveled serious allegations against the CPI leadership, alleging that the party had effectively turned Nattika headquarters into a “paying post”.
“It was not possible to take decisions independently in CPI. Their interests were imposed on me. Joining BJP is part of my struggle,” he said.
A three-cornered battle
Mr Mukundan’s replacement is expected to intensify the political contest in Nattica, with the constituency now witnessing a tighter three-pronged battle as the election campaign gathers pace.
Published – 16 March 2026 14:51 IST
