Senior Congress leader K V Thomas on Thursday announced his decision to attend a seminar at the ongoing Communist Party of India (Marxist) congress in Kannur (north Kerala) ignoring the party diktat.
The CPI(M) had invited many Congress leaders to the seminar and two among them, Shashi Tharoor and K V Thomas, had expressed their desire to attend it. But later party president Sonia Gandhi asked both not to attend it after pressure from the state unit. Later, Tharoor had said that he will go by the directive of the party chief.
“The Congress and CPI(M) are coming closer at the national level against communal agenda of the BJP. And the seminar is on Centre-state relations and I feel nothing wrong in attending it. State-level differences between two parties (Congress and CPIM) should be kept aside to address a national threat,” he said in Ernakulam.
When asked about the state Congress president K Sudhakaran’s statement that those who attend the CPI(M) meet will be expelled, Thomas said that he has been the member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for many years and has no plans to join any other party at this juncture. “I am a born Congressman. I would like to remain with it. Nobody can browbeat me like this. Only the AICC can expel me,” he said, adding he suffered enough humiliations and insult in the party.
“They cite my age to sideline me. But there are many in the party who are senior to me,” said the former union minister and four-time MP from Ernakulam. Sulking for some time after he was denied his sitting LS seat in Ernakulam, he later unsuccessfully tried for a seat in assembly elections and recent Rajya Sabha polls. According to a few reports, he may be fielded by the CPI(M) as an independent in Thrikkakara assembly by-election, a seat lying vacant due to the death of party leader P T Thomas.
{{/usCountry}}“They cite my age to sideline me. But there are many in the party who are senior to me,” said the former union minister and four-time MP from Ernakulam. Sulking for some time after he was denied his sitting LS seat in Ernakulam, he later unsuccessfully tried for a seat in assembly elections and recent Rajya Sabha polls. According to a few reports, he may be fielded by the CPI(M) as an independent in Thrikkakara assembly by-election, a seat lying vacant due to the death of party leader P T Thomas.
{{/usCountry}}The CPI(M) has been trying to woo him for quite some time while eyeing minority votes. Politburo member M A Babu said if Thomas leaves the Congress, the party will accommodate him properly.
Later, state Congress president K Sudhakaran MP said the high command has asked the state unit to take appropriate decision. “He flouted the party discipline and raised allegations against leadership. It was not expected from a senior leader like him. We will take appropriate decision after he attends the seminar,”Sudhakaran said in the state capital.
Many party leaders have also deplored Thomas’s decision. “The CPI(M) is facing a big leadership crunch so it is setting trap to attract leaders from other parties,” said senior leader Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan.
“He enjoyed many positions in his five-decade long career. It is sad he is seeking greener pastures by stabbing the party in the back,” said Rajmohan Unnithan, party MP.
On the other hand, CPI(M) lauded Thomas’s decision. “It is a good decision. We will co-operate with him once he leaves the Congress,” said party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.