CPI-M expels Kerala MP

The Communist Party of India – Marxist has expelled A P Abdullakutty, its sitting Member of Parliament from Kannur, who has been at loggerheads with the party's district and state leadership.

Abdullakutty was first elected to the Parliament in 1999, at the age of 28, while he was the state president of the Students Federation of India.

Abdullakutty has been having problems with the party's state leadership due to his reported closeness to Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.

The chief minister has been feuding with the CPI-M's state leadership, headed by party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.

Kannur's district leadership has suspended Abdullakutty on charges of indulging in anti-party activities and being in league with the party's detractors.

Abdullakutty had been suspended earlier after he publicly hailed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's model of development and urged Kerala to emulate it.

Though the CPI-M tried to make the young leader toe the part line, Abdullakutty refused to budge and continued to cross the party's top leadership.

The party finally decided to expel Abdullakutty after he recently held a press conference and lashed out against the party's leadership.

The Congress lost no time in trying to cash in on the dissent within the CPI-M. Former minister and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee secretary K.Sudhakaran welcomed Abdullakutty to the United Democratic Front. The expelled CPI-M leader might contest from Kasargod, said some senior UDF leaders.