KOCHI: Triggering speculation of the NDA wooing Kerala Congress back to its fold by awarding a few positions, P C Thomas has delayed his party’s decision to quit the BJP-led NDA in the state.
The Kerala Congress state secretariat meeting held on Sunday entrusted Thomas, the party chairman, with the responsibility of taking an apt decision on joining any political front.
The meeting was called after the UDF leadership showed interest in admitting the outfit as a constituent. Rumours are rife that Thomas is adopting pressure tactics to get a few posts from the BJP central leadership. “As UDF has opened its doors to our entry, we will hold further talks. But the party has not taken a decision to quit NDA. We will consider all possibilities in the current political scenario,” Thomas told TNIE after the party’s top leaders met via videoconferencing.
He had demanded 16 posts including membership in various boards and the chairman’s post of the Rubber Board. However, the BJP has not granted any post to his party, which hurt the sentiments of his party leaders and they began exploring the possibility of joining the UDF when the Jose K Mani faction of the Kerala Congress (M) left the front.
Thomas, who was one of the most prominent leaders of the KC (M), had represented the Muvattupuzha constituency in the Lok Sabha for six terms, from 1989 to 2009. He served as the Union minister of state for law and justice from 2003 to 2004. The NDA registered its maiden electoral victory in Kerala as Thomas was elected from Muvattupuzha to Lok Sabha in 2004.
Earlier, BDJS, the second largest constituent of the NDA, also played the same tactics with indications of allying with the CPM-led LDF after the BJP central leadership turned down its demand for a few prominent posts. Later, the party was granted a few posts, including the chairman of the Spices Board.
However, Thushar Vellappally, NDA convener and BDJS leader, dismissed allegations of differences within the NDA in the state. “The NDA is going forward united in the state. P C Thomas hasn’t aired any kind of displeasure so far,” he said.