THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: T K Govindan and V P Kunhikrishnan, former CPM leaders who rebelled against the party and successfully contested as independents in the assembly election, took oath as MLA on Thursday.
Both took a "solemn" pledge amid rousing welcome by the ruling front MLAs, who wildly thumped the desk to greet the two, who breached the party citadels of Payyannur and Taliparamba.
Govindan represents Taliparamba, while Kunhikrishnan represents Payyannur.
Govindan walked upto Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan and shook hands with him before taking the oath.
Kunhikrishnan greeted Pinarayi, but did not shook hands with him.
The CPM expelled Govindan from its primary membership on March 17, a day after he raised the charge against the selection of P K Shyamala — the wife of CPM state secretary M V Govindan as the LDF candidate for Taliparamba constituency in State Assembly elections . The party stated that the action against the veteran was for violating discipline during the election period.
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] rebel and Independent candidate backed by the United Democratic Front (UDF) V. Kunhikrishnan defeated the CPI(M)’s T.I. Madhusoodanan in the Payyannur Assembly constituency by a decisive margin of 7,487 votes