Rebel Congress leader makes dramatic entry at CPM meet

Thomas utilised his delay, which he said was due to traffic block, to promote the proposed semi-high-speed rail in the state

Dissident Congress leader in Kerala K V Thomas has been expelled from the party after he attended an election campaign meeting for CPM candidate in the Thrikkakkara by-poll at Kochi on Thursday.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran said that the decision to expel Thomas was taken with the consent of the AICC.

After Thomas attended the by-election campaign meeting for CPM-led Left Democratic Front in Thriikkakkara, Congress workers reportedly burnt his photographs at the party office in his home village Kumbalangi near Kochi.

Congress camps are of the view that Thomas's moves would not cause any harm as it was very evident that his decision was not influenced by any pro-development approach, but for personal gains. Congress sources also said that Thomas's decision to work with the left camps without having the Congress party was an attempt to provoke the party leadership to oust him so that he can project himself as a martyr for taking a pro-development approach. But the party now decided to act considering the sentiments of party workers.

Thomas was earlier expelled from his posts in Kerala PCC after her attended a CPM seminar defying the party's direction. But he was retained as an AICC member. Thomas was a former union minister and MP and MLA several times.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused Congress of being anti-development and said that Thomas's decision to join the left camp was owing to Congress's anti-development approach.

Thomas made a dramatic entry to the CPM-led Left Democratic Front's election meeting. He came late while the Chief Minister was delivering his speech. As Vijayan welcomed him to the stage, Thomas commented that he was late as he was held up in a traffic block and hence projects like semi-high-speed rail was necessary.

Amidst allegations by the Congress camps that the laying of demarcation stones for the rail project was now put on hold to suppress anti-government sentiments during the election time, Vijayan reiterated in his address that the left-front government was committed to implementing the rail project- SilverLine.

The CPM camps expressed hopes that the entry of Thomas to the left camps would help in gaining the support of the Christian Latin Catholic votes in the constituency, which is not too high in numbers.