BEIJING (Reuters) - The former Communist Party boss of one of China’s most important cities, the southwestern megalopolis of Chongqing, has been expelled from the party and will be prosecuted for corruption, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday.

Sun Zhengcai, a senior official once considered a contender for top leadership, had been party chief of the city until an abrupt announcement in July that he had been replaced by a rising political star close to President Xi Jinping.

He was put under investigation later in July.