Nattika MLA Mukundan joins BJP after CPI ouster

THRISSUR: Nattika MLA C C Mukundan, who was ousted from CPI a couple of days ago after publicly criticizing the party for denying him a ticket in the upcoming assembly elections, joined BJP on Monday. The defection of an LDF MLA to BJP has sent shockwaves through Left parties, who were mocking their rival Congress, for failing to stem the flow of that party's leaders to Sangh Parivar camp in different states.Mukundan had recently raised a banner of revolt in CPI after the party decided to field former MLA Geetha Gopi as the LDF candidate in Nattika. He had earlier sought the support of Congress and UDF to contest in the constituency.Mukundan had put CPI in a spot by alleging that Nattika has become a ‘payment seat' and that Gopi was selected because she could ensure more funds for the party. "I was not able to bring funds to the party and that's why I was denied a ticket. Let there be a vigilance enquiry into my wealth and her wealth covering the last 15 years," he had said.But Congress refused his request to field him as a UDF nominee and this subsequently influenced his decision to approach BJP. Mukundan, who had always criticised the alleged communal character of BJP, accepted membership of that very party from NDA vice-chairman in Kerala A N Radhakrishnan saying that he was joining a party which has been protecting the poorer sections of society.Mukundan will contest in Nattika assembly seat as the NDA candidate and also use BJP's lotus symbol in this election. However, Mukundan's name was not mentioned in the first list of candidates released by BJP.Even though Nattika is an LDF stronghold, BJP nominee Suresh Gopi had earned a significant lead in this assembly segment when he contested in the previous Parliamentary elections. Mukundan had won the seat in the previous assembly election by a margin of 28,431 votes, higher than the majority wrested by Geetha Gopi in the elections held in 2016.BJP hopes Mukundan will be able to win again in Nattika if the party's sure votes and the personal votes that Mukundan is able to garner are combined. Radhakrishnan said Mukundan could be a trendsetter for the flow of leaders from other parties in the state to BJP.