Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan, on Saturday criticized Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for failing to initiate an investigation into allegations of horse-trading against NCP MLA Thomas K Thomas.
Speaking to media in Malappuram, Satheesan questioned why Chief Minister Vijayan had not acted even after learning that the Kuttanad MLA allegedly offered large sums of money to two other legislators.
The senior Congress leader claimed that the Chief Minister remained passive despite being aware that a ruling MLA had attempted to entice two other LDF legislators to join the Sangh Parivar-led front.
Reports indicate that Antony Raju, a Left MLA and former minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet, accused NCP’s Thomas K Thomas of offering him and another Left MLA, Kovoor Kunjumon, Rs 100 crore (Rs 50 crore each) to switch sides and defect to the BJP ally, the NCP Ajit Pawar faction.
Raju is a member of the Janathipathya Kerala Congress, while Kunjumon belongs to the RSP-Leninist, both of whom are Left allies.
In early October, Antony Raju reportedly informed Chief Minister Vijayan about the alleged horse-trading attempt.
The Chief Minister subsequently reached out to RSP-Leninist legislator Kovoor Kunjumon to verify the claims. Kunjumon denied the allegations, allegedly stating that Raju’s assertions were false.
Following this, NCP leaders, including state chief PC Chacko, Thomas K Thomas, and party minister AK Saseendran, met with the Chief Minister and refuted the allegations. Thomas also submitted a written response to the Chief Minister and called for an investigation into the matter.
On Saturday, former KPCC president K Muraleedharan demanded an immediate vigilance probe into allegations that two MLAs were offered Rs 100 crore as a bribe for defection.
“A serious allegation has been raised against Thomas K Thomas. This is not just an issue confined to the Left Front; it impacts the entire population,” Muraleedharan stated.
He questioned why Thomas K Thomas was excluded from the cabinet if there were no grounds for financial concerns.
The allegations surfaced amid Thomas’s attempt to secure a cabinet position in the Pinarayi Vijayan government by replacing his party colleague and current Forest Minister, AK Saseendran.
Meanwhile, NCP Kerala President PC Chacko dismissed the allegations, stating that Antony Raju, who made the accusations, is unreliable.
“There is a pending court case against Antony Raju for tampering with evidence. I doubt the Chief Minister will sacrifice Thomas K Thomas on the basis of such claims. It’s possible that someone persuaded Raju to raise these allegations to hinder Thomas’s elevation as a minister,” Chacko said.
Chacko vouched for Thomas’s integrity, describing him as a politician who remains steadfast in his principles. He labeled the allegations as a “fake bomb prank” by Antony Raju and urged the Chief Minister to disregard such baseless accusations.