The Communist Party of India-Marxist, which heads the coalition government in West Bengal, on Tuesday expelled one of its members of Parliament for accusing the party of encouraging corruption.

CPI-M state secretary Anil Biswas said in Kolkata that Radhika Ranjan Pramanik was being expelled for 'anti party activities'.

Pramanik, a five-time MP from Mathurapur constituency, had alleged that the party encouraged MPs to use their quota of development funds for party activities.

He had claimed in February that party cadres had forced him to give away Rs 20 million from his fund. He had also said that the CPI-M was a party of 'thieves and robbers'.

The CPI-M had served him with a notice to explain his statement. "We have already sent a letter through our MP Rupchand Pal to the Lok Sabha speaker (Manohar Joshi) asking him to expel Pramanik," Biswas said.

Pramanik, who has since come close to the opposition Trinamool Congress, said he wasn't disturbed. "I am surprised that it took the CPI-M so long to expel me."