THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rumours are rife that senior Congress leader K V Thomas, who is currently on reverse quarantine, is planning to contest as an independent candidate from either Kochi or Vypeen Assembly constituency with CPM support.Congress camp feels he is resorting to pressure tactics, as he had been lobbying to get a suitable berth as KPCC working president where one seat is currently vacant following the death of M I Shanavas or even an AICC general secretary post, but in vain. He had not taken up the posts of chief executive officer of Congress mouthpiece ‘Veekshanam’ and managing director of ‘Jaihind’ channel, claiming that it will be a liability on him.
Even though 74-year-old Thomas was on reverse quarantine after developing Covid-related lung infection issues, due to the personal invitation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he had attended the inauguration of Kundannoor and Vyttila flyovers. Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden and T J Vinod, MLA, were caught unawares by Thomas’ presence, where the chief minister had maintained that he too had a role in making the flyovers a reality. Thomas told TNIE that this let the tongues wagging in the Congress camp that he was cosying up towards the Left camp, when until recently the claim was that he was joining the saffron camp.
“I got a raw deal at the hands of senior leaders of the KPCC. I will be in Thiruvananthapuram during this week where CWC member Oommen Chandy has expressed his interest to meet me. If age is the detrimental factor, then other senior leaders should also follow the same law. Also, if it is my fifth term as MP that has upset the leaders, let me point out that certain leaders from Kerala have seen even more years in the Lok Sabha,” he said.
He had brought in his own team, including a chartered accountant and a company secretary, to probe the financial and legal issues of ‘Veekshanam’ and ‘Jaihind’. where he felt that a lot of issues have to be dealt with legally first before taking up the responsibility to save the debt-ridden companies. Thomas does not share a good rapport with Rahul Gandhi, MP, which has become detrimental to him, which the two group leaders have allegedly taken advantage of. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will give a suitable berth to Thomas only if it has the concurrence of the KPCC leadership.
It is reliably learnt that senior CWC member A K Antony is keen on solving the grievances of Thomas, whom he feels Ernakulam Congress is ‘incomplete’ without as he has the backing of the Catholic Church. The leadership is expected to address the concerns of Thomas and it is likely that he gets the post of KPCC working president. Currently, MPs K Sudhakaran and Kodikunnil Suresh are the two working presidents.