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2 min readThiruvanananthapuramMar 16, 2026 03:16 PM IST
After deliberations with BJP leaders, Mukundan on Monday took membership at the party’s district office in Thrissur. (Credits: Facebook / C. C. Mukundan)
C Mukundan, a legislator from the ruling CPI in Kerala, joined the BJP on Monday after his party did not give him a ticket to contest the upcoming assembly elections. Mukundan currently represents the Nattika assembly constituency in Thrissur district and is likely to contest from there as a BJP candidate.
A Dalit face in the CPI, an ally of the LDF in Kerala, Mukundan was denied a party ticket for a second term. Instead, the CPI fielded Geetha Gopi from the Nattika seat.
Subsequently, Mukundan alleged the CPI had converted Nattika into a “payment seat”. Despite being a first-time legislator, Mukundan claimed, he was denied a seat for a second term because he could not mobilise money for the party.
In response to the allegations, the CPI expelled him from the party. Before moving to the BJP, Mukundan reportedly knocked on the Congress’s doors, but the party did not favour his candidature as a UDF-backed independent in the seat.
After deliberations with BJP leaders, Mukundan on Monday took membership at the party’s district office in Thrissur. In the 2021 elections, Mukundan had defeated Congress candidate Sunil Laloor.
Early this month, a former two-term CPI legislator, K Ajith, had joined the BJP, saying that the LDF has failed in Kerala to address the woes of the Dalit community. He had represented the Vaikam (SC reservation) seat for two terms from 2006.
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
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