Thiruvananthapuram, March 9 -- Communist Party of India State Secretary Binoy Viswam on Monday dismissed allegations of "payment seats" within the party, following sharp criticism from sitting MLA CC Mukundan over the alleged replacement of him with Geetha Gopi as the candidate in the Nattika constituency.

Responding to the allegation, Viswam maintained that the party holds no animosity toward the sitting MLA. "CPI has never seen CC Mukundan as an enemy. There are no issues in Nattika Constituency. Mukundan will not be ready to oppose or reject the party that has loved him for so long. The Nattika seat is not a payment seat. There has never been a payment seat within the Communist Party, and there never will be."

The CPI leader's clarif...