Former Alappuzha municipal chairperson Illikkal Kunjumon was expelled from the Congress on Friday.
Mr. Kunjumon was earlier suspended from the party, pending inquiry, following allegations that he had tried to defeat M. Liju, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate in the Ambalappuzha Assembly constituency, in the 2021 Assembly polls, by depicting him as an ‘anti-minority community leader.’
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr. Kunjumon alleged conspiracy against him. He said he would take a break from active politics and urged Congress to stop mistreating minority communities. He alleged that Mr. Liju and a senior Congress leader had conspired to defeat UDF candidate Shanimol Usman in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the Alappuzha constituency.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran said that Mr. Kunjumon had repeatedly violated party discipline, which resulted in his ouster. “After his suspension from the party, he conducted a press meet challenging the party decision. It amounts to a gross breach of party discipline,” Mr. Sudhakaran said, explaining the party’s decision to expel Mr. Kunjumon.
After receiving complaints against Mr. Kunjumon, the party had sought an explanation from him. He was initially suspended after his reply as adjudged unsatisfactory. Mr. Liju lost the election to Left Democratic Front candidate H. Salam by 11,125 votes.
