C C Mukundan joins BJP, receives membership from senior BJP leader A N Radhakrishnan

THRISSUR: Nattika MLA and former CPI leader C C Mukundan has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP activists led by B Gopalakrishnan welcomed him by shouting slogans at the party’s Thrissur district committee office. Mukundan accepted the party membership from senior BJP leader A N Radhakrishnan. He is likely to convene a press meet shortly.

The Congress was not ready to support Mukundan, who was expelled from the CPI after being in the party for four decades. Mukundan reached the BJP district committee office, Namo Bhavan, and joined the party. The Aam Aadmi Party was also in the field for him This is the first time a sitting Left MLA leaving the party in the state and joining the BJP.

Mukundan won by the largest margin after the formation of the constituency. In the last election, he defeated advocate Sunil Laloor of the Congress by 28431 votes. Here, the BJP had secured 33716 votes. The NDA got 21 percent of the votes. The BJP is aiming to increase this through Mukundan.