Prof K V Thomas had raised quite a few eyebrows when he got closer to the LDF and became the Kerala government’s special representative in Delhi. His warm relationships, beyond party lines, are his forte. And he is making good use of it for the development of the state, he tells TNIE.
Your appointment as the state’s special representative in Delhi had been criticised as an extra burden on the exchequer. How do you view such criticisms?
All states in India have political representatives in Delhi. As a special representative, I am entrusted with the task of forming relationships, getting the projects beneficial for the state approved and smoothening the bumps and hurdles faced during the implementation of the projects. I had been doing such activities before, too. Earlier, I had the freedom to do everything on my own. But now, I am answerable to the state government.
You said the prime minister has a good equation with the chief minister. Could you please elaborate on that?
Yes, that’s true. The completion of GAIL has changed the Union government’s perception about Kerala. The project was allotted to Gujarat and Kerala at the same time. But even when Gujarat completed the project, ours did not move even an inch forward. Three CMs had tried and failed. But Pinarayi Vijayan could implement it. If it had not materialised, no other projects would have come to Kerala.
We have heard former prime minister Manmohan Singh once stood up and laughed over Kerala’s national highway progress….
Kerala once presented a joint memorandum before the PM, requesting him to reduce the width of the national highway to 30m. I was also there along with then CM and V S Achuthanandan. After reading it, the PM stood up and laughed at our insistence on the 30m width. We are now going to complete the same project at 60m width. Lots of things are happening now, and that has improved the Centre’s trust in the Kerala government.
What is happening with SilverLine?
We are trying to get approval. Recent developments in the railway sector in the state, like the arrival of Vande Bharat, weren’t successful. Its arrival has caused chaos; other services are getting delayed. Even if we get a six-lane national highway, we are in dire need of a high-speed rail system. There is no politics in this. It can be seen that whenever anything new comes to Kerala, it generates a lot of protests. But once things become clear, the project takes off. The same will happen with SilverLine, too.
So will there be another round of discussions with the Centre?
Yes, there will be.
It is very important to have a good relationship with the ruling party while working as a special representative of the state. How good is your equation with the BJP?
I have vast relationships of my own, beyond politics. I have had a good equation with Narendra Modi, Nitin Gadkari and J P Nadda for a long time.
You mentioned Gadkari. It is said he has a special affection for Kerala. Is this true?
Yes. Gadkari has a special interest towards our state, especially towards the chief minister. He has openly expressed it. He said many times that Pinarayi Vijayan is a chief minister who ‘does things’. Gadkari is entrusted with the task of completing the national highway for certain kilometres before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. And, he is very serious about that.
How about the PM’s approach to Kerala?
The PM’s approach towards Kerala is also good. For me, it’s not a difficult matter to get an appointment with the prime minister. I have a good rapport with him, and our friendship began years ago, in 2001. When I was the fisheries minister of the state, I used to contact him as he was then Gujarat CM on the issues related to the thousands of women workers who went to Gujarat for fish peeling jobs. Then, when I handled the food and civil supplies portfolio at the Centre, he was the chairman of the food material price deciding committee. Later, he became PM and I was appointed Parliamentary Affairs Committee chairman under him. So our relationship goes a long way.
Have you met the PM during the past two years, after taking charge as the special representative?
Yes. I have met him many times after my appointment in New Delhi.
You have worked with K Karunakaran, Oommen Chandy, and Pinarayi Vijayan. How do you assess these leaders?
The three are different. ‘Leader’ [Karunakaran] was like a father to me. He had a special affection for me. Oommen Chandy is a people’s leader. He is always surrounded by a minimum of 50 people. So, we can’t meet him privately. Pinarayi is stern, but has affection in his mind. He has strong will power and conviction. Like Karunakaran, Pinarayi, too, can be completely trusted. If they both give a word, that will be done.
Of late, we have seen the Congress party in Kerala oppose development projects for the sake of opposition. How do you see this?
This is a Kerala phenomenon that we have been seeing across political parties. Even if the projects are for the overall development of the state, unnecessary protests and opposition are created. In fact, both the Congress and the Left are culpable in creating this negative mindset towards development.
Can you elaborate?
Remember the opposition to the CIAL airport, Kochi Metro project, and the Vypeen and Ernakulam bridges? When the airport came, they said I bought all the land near the proposed airport. When a new building comes up in the stretch from Thrissur to Ernakulam, they would say that it belongs to Murali (Karunakaran’s son and Congress leader K Muraleedharan). So, such baseless allegations would come and go, but can we withdraw from a project just because of these kind of rumours?
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When the party was led by Leader Karunakaran and A K Antony, there were groups. But whenever the group rivalry threatened the party, they would both come together and take a unanimous decision. And that would be the final decision. Can we see that now? There are groups within groups (chuckles).
How many groups are there now?
You count them for yourself (laughs).
Are you in touch with the current crop of Congress leaders?
Yes, I am in touch with Sudhakaran, Ramesh and Satheesan.
Have you not been suspended from the party?
No. Who can suspend me from the party? Only AICC can. And they have not done it. I was officially invited for the Raipur AICC meeting. But I told them I would not come as the local leadership is not keen on me.
You worked as a minister in the Manmohan Singh government, and then as PAC chairman under Narendra Modi. How were the experiences of working under the two prime ministers?
The two have completely different personalities. Dr Manmohan Singh had a clear-cut economic outlook for the country. He is not a politician; he is an economist. His political outlook was always guided by the decisions taken by the Congress party and Madam (Sonia) Gandhi. Even if he had different views on political matters, in the end, he would abide by the party’s decision. India’s prosperity and growth that we are seeing today are the result of his contributions. Narendra Modi does not know economics, but he knows politics. He is a good orator, but most of his decisions are not good for the country. I can say this because I have pointed this out to him directly.
There were rumours that the BJP had approached you…
Nobody has approached me, neither the CPM nor the BJP.
How did the new post as Kerala’s special representative in Delhi come about?
The CM called me. We had some initial discussions earlier on Kerala’s developmental politics and what I could do for the state. I cannot sit idle; I am a workaholic. Delhi is my place, not Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi. I have lots of friends in Delhi, across political parties.
Your adversaries mock you with the nickname ‘Thirutha Thoma’. How do you react to such jibes?
I will tell you what happened. During Indira Gandhi’s time, when Leader Karunakaran was at the helm, a list would come from Delhi about the items to be sent from Kerala. Fish would also be there. Leader asked me to deliver some items to Indiraji, and I did so. The practice continued during other prime ministers’ times, too. And, Sonia Gandhi doesn’t eat ‘thirutha’ (grey mullet) fish! During election time, my detractors would come up with such terms. I don’t take them seriously. I come from a community which believes in sharing.
It is said that Congressmen are behind such name-calling…
Yes. I have said this openly. When some people were denied seats, they took out a procession with ‘thirutha’ fish.
Have you ever sent ‘thirutha’ to Sonia Gandhi’s house?
I have sent several things to her, but not ‘thirutha’ (chuckles).
It was said that your daughter was eyeing a seat to contest in the last election. Is that true?
My children have no interest in entering politics. My elder son is the CEO of Mashreq Bank. My daughter has also done very well in the food sector for the past 25 years. My youngest son is a well-known doctor in Kochi in rheumatology.
What is your view on Anil K Antony joining the BJP?
I have a good relationship with him. Anil has his own vision, and he is a good person. This is politics. Just because A K Antony follows a political ideology, nobody can say that his son should also follow the same.
Senior leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and you had to leave Congress because of the rise of Rahul Gandhi. Is that right?
We are people from older generations. We appreciate love and affection. We maintained a close relationship with Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Ahmed Patel. It was like a family. Today, that is lost in the Congress. Rahul belongs to the new generation.
After the thumping victory in the Karnataka assembly election, is the Congress making a comeback in Indian politics?
If the Congress stands united, no one can defeat it. Assembly elections are coming up in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. If it stands united, victory is sure. There is a possibility of a grand opposition alliance against the Narendra Modi-led BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But a coalition government needs good leadership if it wants consistency. Then only the government can move forward.
Among the Congress leaders from Kerala, you were closest to Sonia Gandhi. Has the Catholic connection got to do anything with that?
No. There is no religious angle in our relationship. Sonia Gandhi will never see things on a community basis. Sonia Gandhi is a true Indian woman. It shows in her sense of dressing and dignity.
Do you still maintain a close relationship with the Nehru-Gandhi family now?
Yes, and I will always be grateful to her. The Gandhi family is behind my growth. I have gratitude towards Sonia Gandhi and the Gandhi family. However, I have no such connection with Rahul Gandhi. The reason may be the difference in ages.
Is Sonia Gandhi unhappy with your change?
No, I don’t believe so. We are still in touch.
You have been an MLA, MP, minister… Congress workers ask what more do you want….
Politics is not a job or employment; it’s about acknowledgement. It’s not like being appointed as a clerk first and then promoted to the superintendent’s post. That’s not politics. It’s not employment for me. Madam Sonia trusted me and assigned me to implement food safety measures, and that’s an acknowledgement for me.
You had a close relationship with Karunakaran. But when DIC(K) was formed, you parted ways...
I had a difference of opinion with Leader while forming DIC (K). In my entire political career, two people I am grateful to are Madam Sonia Gandhi and Leader. After the 2001 election, [A K] Antony came into power. Leader had his reasons for not cooperating with Antony. We told him that Antony was capable of protecting Murali. But he did not trust him. The cabinet meeting was on Wednesdays, and he wanted us to meet him on Tuesdays to discuss the issues that would be presented in the cabinet. I told him that was not appropriate. Since then, a small gap emerged in our relationship.
At present, what is your political position?
As of now, my sole responsibility is to look at the development projects in Kerala and do the needful from Delhi.