Payyannur, March 30 (IANS) In a development that has injected fresh heat into the election battle in Payyannur, former CPI(M) leader, V. Kunjikrishnan, now a Congress-led UDF backed independent on Monday, publicly released what he claims is documentary evidence of fund misappropriation linked to a martyr’s relief collection.

Taking to social media on Monday, Kunjikrishnan shared bank statements and internal account records to substantiate his allegation that Rs 5 lakh was diverted from the 'Comrade Dhanaraj Family Assistance Fund' to the personal account of a former area secretary.

The transfer, he claimed, took place on July 9, 2018, from an account held at the Payyannur Rural Bank main branch.

The move comes amid sustained denial from the local CPI(M) leadership, which has maintained throughout the campaign that no financial irregularities have occurred and that not a single rupee of party funds has been lost.

Challenging this claim, Kunjikrishnan said he was prepared to place “undeniable evidence” before the public, asserting that he had been earlier entrusted by the party itself to examine the accounts.

“If the argument is that evidence should speak, I am ready to present it,” he said, adding that attempts may be made to justify the transactions, but “the truth will stand above all explanations.”

He also warned that more documents could be released if efforts were made to “suppress facts.”

The controversy centres around funds collected in the name of slain party worker Dhanaraj, meant to support the martyr’s family.

Kunjikrishnan alleged that even such collections had not been spared, calling it a “betrayal” of party workers, families and supporters.

He said copies of the bank statement and expenditure details submitted before party committees had been made public, asking what further proof was needed for the party, the media and the people to acknowledge the alleged irregularities.

The CPI(M) is yet to respond in detail to the latest disclosures.

The issue has added a sharp edge to the contest in Payyannur, where Kunjikrishnan is taking on sitting CPI(M) legislator T.I. Madhusoodhan.

With corruption emerging as a key talking point, the controversy is likely to influence voter sentiment in the constituency as campaigning enters its final stretch.

Next door to Payyannur is another top former CPI-M leader T.K.Govindan, who was booted out for questioning the candidature of CPI-M state secretary M.V.Govindan’s wife at Taliparambu, who is contesting with the support of the UDF.

Both these rebel incidents have rocked the Kannur CPI-M which is the strongest district in the country for the red party.

--IANS

sg/rad