Kerala NCP-SP MLA denies offer of Rs 50 crores to shift to Ajit Pawar faction

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 25 The NCP-SP legislator Thomas K. Thomas on Friday dismissed the allegations levelled by legislator Antony Raju of Janathiyapathiya Kerala Congress who had allegedly offered Rs 50 crores each to him (Thomas K. Thomas) and another legislator Kovoor Kunjumon to shift to the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.

“Raju’s party has been eyeing the Kuttanadu Assembly seat first held for three terms by my brother and then in 2021 by me. Rs 50 crores each defies logic and the media is coming out with utterly baseless reports of a rift between me and my late brother,” he said.

He added that he is still to come to terms with the passing away of his brother. “It was my brother who told Vijayan that I should be given the seat during the 2021 election. Vijayan then told me that if the NCP decides to field me, there will be no issues from the Left,” added Thomas.

The news first surfaced in a leading vernacular daily on Friday which said the discussion according to Raju took place in the lounge of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

The report also states that Raju had informed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as well.

All three legislators belong to the ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front, while the NCP led by Ajit Pawar is an ally of the BJP-led NDA.

Kunjumon a five-time legislator is presently an independent Left legislator who a decade back, broke away from the Revolutionary Socialist Party, and is presently in the Congress-led opposition.

Meanwhile, Raju told the media that what vernacular daily has reported is correct.

“I have spoken to Vijayan and whatever I knew I told him about the news report. But I cannot tell everything in public at the moment as I am an ally of the ruling Left,” said Raju.

Kunjumon said that Vijayan asked him if there was any discussion about it in the Assembly.

“I assured the Chief Minister that he has always been strongly supporting Vijayan. Now after this baseless news has surfaced, I will meet the Chief Minister again and seek a probe into this,” said Kunjumon.

Thomas K. Thomas even though approved by Sharad Pawar to replace his senior party colleague and state Forest Minister A.K.Saseendran, Vijayan has asked him to wait.

“It was after my name was cleared by our national leadership to replace Saseendran, that these baseless allegations have surfaced. When our leaders met the Chief Minister to effect the replacement, he sought time,” said Thomas.

State Congress president K. Sudhakaran said very grave allegations have been leveled and surprisingly Vijayan is silent.

Source: IANS