Defying the Congress diktat, former Union Minister K V Thomas has decided to attend the seminar organised by the CPI(M) party congress.
Announcing his decision, K V Thomas said that Congress should realise the importance of everyone joining hands against BJP. "Congress has limitations... It alone cannot take on the BJP. Congress should realise that,'' he said.
He also said that the Congress should correct its mistakes. "I am being invited to attend a session on centre state relationship. Tamil Madu Chief Minister Stalin is also attending the session. What is wrong with that?'', asked Thomas.
When asked about KPCC president's announcement that he would be expelled from the party if he attends the CPM function, Thomas said that he was an AICC member and that KPCC has no power to expel an AICC member.
Reacting to Thomas' decision, Opposition leader V D Satheeshan said that the party will decide the actions later.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi had personally requested Thomas not to attend the function as the state leadership is dead against Congress leaders attending CPM party Congress. Sashi Tharoor MP had withdrawn from the panel discussion following Sonia's diktat.
Thomas, who had been the MP from Ernakulam for four times, has been sulking for quite some time as he has been sidelined by the current KPCC leadership.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) Kannur district secretary MV Jayarajan said that even if Thomas leaves the Congress, he will not be orphaned. Many Congress workers have already left the party and joined the CPI(M). Jayarajan told the media in Kannur that this is the experience of those who left the Congress.