In a stringent step taken by the District Congress Committee (DCC), seven people, including Kannur Corporation Councillor P.K. Ragesh, were expelled from the primary membership of the Congress party.
The action has been taken against the rebel activity in the Pallikunnu Service Cooperative Bank election, in which the rebel faction had defeated the official panel of the Congress. The action is based on the assessment that Mr. Ragesh and those who have now faced action were the leaders of the faction.
Following growing friction, the Congress Pallikunnu constituency committee and booth committee have also been dissolved. Apart from P.K. Ragesh, Chetoor Ragesh, M.K. Akhil, P.K. Ranjith, P.K. Sooraj, K.P. Rathipan, and M.V. Pradeep Kumar were expelled as primary members.
DCC president Martin George also announced that K.P. Anitha and K.P. Chandran have been suspended from the party. Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee member Rajeevan Elayavoor has been given temporary charge of Pallikunnu constituency committee.
Mr. George said that the police and Cooperative Department officials conspired to vote using fake identity cards issued by the bank.
The UDF Pallikunnu regional committee demanded that the election be cancelled and the real members given the right to vote.
Pallikunnu Service Cooperative Bank elections were reportedly conducted by restricting the membership of the bank to relatives and side beneficiaries and unilaterally cancelling the voting rights of 5,350 members. The case filed by the UDF committee against this is pending in the court.
