K.V. Thomas to campaign for LDF in Thrikkakara. He will share dais with CPI(M) leaders at poll conventions

K.S. Sudhi KOCHI

Snapping his decades-long affiliation with the Congress, senior leader K.V. Thomas will share the dais with Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders in Kochi shortly.

Prof. Thomas, who was recently stripped off his organisational responsibilities, will attend the Assembly constituency convention of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in Thrikkakara on May 12.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is expected to inaugurate the convention of Jo Jacob, who will be contesting the byelection on the CPI(M) symbol.

Confirming that he would attend the political meeting convened by the CPI(M), Prof. Thomas said he would actively get involved in the campaign.

“I will campaign with all my vigour as I did during the elections in which I had contested as a candidate,” Prof. Thomas said. A formal announcement regarding the decision to share the platform with Left leaders is likely to be made next week.

The decision is likely to invite the wrath of the Congress leadership, which may eventually decide on his continuation in the organisation.

CPI(M) seminar

Prof. Thomas, a former Union and State Minister, fell out with the Congress leadership following his decision to attend a seminar on Centre-State relations organised in connection with the recently concluded CPI(M) Party Congress.

While Shashi Tharoor, MP, also an invitee, chose to stay away as directed by the party leadership, Prof. Thomas defied the dictates and spoke at the session.

Removal

The Congress leadership, which responded to the decision by removing him from various organisational responsibilities, had maintained his membership in the All India Congress Committee. Prof. Thomas had also publicly defended the K-Rail project pushed by the LDF government even as the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders were out on the streets uprooting the yellow survey stones in protest.

The State leadership of the party, which was peeved at the recent media attention Prof. Thomas was garnering, had decided to ignore the man who was making “statements from Thoppumpady,” his home town.

Prof. Thomas felt that the LDF candidate stood a good chance of winning the byelection, as he was an acceptable candidate for CPI(M) workers as well as the public.