Kerala Assembly polls 2026: MLA C.C. Mukundan, ousted from CPI, joins BJP; may contest from Nattika

Expelled Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and sitting Nattika MLA C.C. Mukundan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Monday, marking a dramatic political shift ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections and setting the stage for a high-stakes contest in the Nattika constituency.

Mr. Mukundan formally took BJP membership at the party’s Thrissur district committee office, where he was welcomed by BJP leaders led by city district president Justin Jacob. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) State vice-chairperson A.N. Radhakrishnan draped a shawl on Mr. Mukundan to formally welcome him to the party.

A veteran CPI leader who has been active in politics for nearly four decades, Mr. Mukundan represented Nattika in the Assembly for the past five years. He was expelled from the CPI after he announced that he would contest the election as an Independent candidate when the party decided to field Geetha Gopi in the constituency.

In BJP’s symbol

After joining the BJP, Mr. Mukundan said he would prefer to contest the election on the BJP’s party symbol from Nattika. “I will remain loyal to the BJP. This movement works for the uplift of the poor and I will stand firmly with it,” he said.

Calling the day one of the happiest in his political life, Mr. Mukundan said the BJP had “accepted him with an open heart”. “This is part of my fight. I will remain loyal to the party that has supported me,” he added.

‘Payment seat’ row

Mr. Mukundan also reiterated his controversial allegation that the CPI had turned the Nattika seat into a “payment seat”. “I stand by what I said. During the election campaign, I will tell people more about the corruption within the CPI,” he said, adding that he would reveal the names of those who had “betrayed him”.

He alleged that he had fallen out of favour with the party leadership because he refused to become “a tool for collecting money for the party”.

Mr. Mukundan had attempted to secure entry into the Congress after leaving the CPI. He reportedly held discussions in Delhi with KPCC president Sunny Joseph and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala with the support of a former Thrissur DCC president. However, the Congress leadership refused to accommodate him and hence he opted for the BJP.

The BJP leaders are hopeful that the entry of the sitting MLA with strong local networks and political experience could boost the party’s prospects in Nattika. Mr. Mukundan’s move is also seen as a setback for the Left in Nattika, where the election is now shaping up to be a sharper multi-cornered contest.