Expelled Kerala CPI MLA C.C. Mukundan Joins BJP Ahead of Assembly Elections

C.C. Mukundan, a Kerala MLA expelled from the Communist Party of India (CPI) after being denied a ticket for the Nattika constituency, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the state assembly elections. Mukundan, who had unsuccessfully sought Congress support, criticized the CPI leadership for allegedly turning the seat into a 'payment seat.' He pledged loyalty to the BJP and intends to contest the election from Nattika. Separately, other former CPI and Congress members also joined the BJP, signaling political shifts in Kerala.