Kerala unit general secretary K P Anil Kumar Tuesday quit the party as a fallout of the discontent over the appointment of district committee chiefs in the state. Immediately after announcing his exit from the Congress, Kumar joined CPI (M).

A leader from Kozhikode district, Kumar is the third prominent Congress leader in Kerala to quit in the wake of the revolt over the appointment of district congress committee (DCC) chiefs. Last month, when the party high command announced the new DCC chiefs, Kumar had openly criticized the list saying the nominees were cronies of state party chief K Sudhakaran. Subsequently, Kumar, who was in charge of organisational matters, was placed under suspension on the charge of indiscipline.

Announcing his decision, Kumar told the media that there is no democracy in Congress. “I decided to quit the party as I was denied justice. There are many leaders in the party who are thirsting for my blood. I am not ready to be backstabbed to death in this party,” he said.

The senior party leader said Sudhakaran had wrested the Congress in the same manner the Taliban conquered Afghanistan. “He (Sudhakaran) is Sangh Parivar. I faced insult in Congress for having toiled for the party without the support of any group,” he said.

CPI(M) politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan received Kumar at the party headquarters. While Kumar said he was joining the CPI(M) with no condition, Balakrishnan said the Congress leader would get due recognition in the party.

After Kumar announced his resignation from the primary membership of the party, Congress state chief K Sudhakaran said he was dismissed from Congress as his explanation was not satisfactory.

Kumar had last contested Assembly elections in 2011 in a losing effort. A former Youth Congress state president, he has been sulking over his neglect in the party.

In protest against the DCC reconstitution, former KPCC secretary P S Prasanth and former Congress legislator A V Gopinath had earlier quit the party. Prasanth, too, had joined the CPI(M).