Former CPI MP Chengara Surendran likely to join BJP

Thiruvananthapuram: Former CPI MP Chengara Surendran is likely to join the BJP, according to reports. Surendran, who faced disciplinary action from the party over allegations of financial fraud involving a promise of a school job while he was a member of the Guruvayur Devaswom Board, had become increasingly estranged from the CPI leadership. Reports suggest that he has held several rounds of discussions with the BJP.

Chengara Surendran was a senior CPI leader and a prominent party figure in Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts. He served as a Lok Sabha MP for two terms, winning the Adoor constituency in 1998 and 2004 by defeating Congress leader Kodikunnil Suresh. However, he lost to Suresh when he contested from Mavelikkara in 2014.

Earlier,CPI MLAs K Ajith and C C Mukundan had joined the BJP. There were also reports of efforts to bring Mukundan back to the CPM,.

The indications of Surendran's possible move to the BJP come before the party has fully recovered from the departure of two senior leaders. The CPI suspended him from its primary membership in March 2025. The party has not been willing to revoke the suspension.

The disciplinary action followed allegations that he had accepted money by promising a job at a school while serving as a member of the Guruvayur Devaswom Board. With the CPI refusing to lift the suspension, Surendran is believed to have moved closer to the BJP.

Social media posts by BJP supporters and those backing Surendran have also hinted at a possible change of political allegiance. However, Surendran has not made any public statement on the matter so far.