The Hindu : No need to seek fresh mandate: Thomas

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

No need to seek fresh mandate: Thomas

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE MAY 31. The newly sworn-in Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, P.C. Thomas, has said there is no need for him to resign his MP's post and seek a fresh people's mandate as demanded by the KPCC president, K. Muraleedharan, and the UDF convener, Oommen Chandy.

Talking to presspersons at the residence of the Indian Union Muslim League State president, Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal, at Panakkad in Malappuram, Mr. Thomas said the demand that he seek a fresh mandate was born out of a deep misunderstanding.

The KPCC leaders had demanded he should seek a fresh mandate from the people. Their contention was that he should resign as MP and contest again since he had got elected as a candidate of the UDF and he had since then joined the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre.

Mr. Thomas, who heads the Indian Federal Democratic Party (IFDP) which now supports the Vajpayee Government, said he had not defected from any party or political front and joined another side with the objective of winning a ministerial berth.

He did not leave the Kerala Congress(Mani) on his own but was expelled by the party chairman, K.M. Mani.

He was deeply loyal to his party and had even decided to leave politics after completing his term as an MP. However, he was dissuaded from doing so by a senior politician.

The IFDP leader said he would strive to strengthen communal amity by trying for consensus between minority and majority communities. He also believed there was scope for a third front in Kerala.

But he did not have any clear-cut plans to forge such a front. His responses would be fashioned by the direction that the State politics would follow in the coming days, he said.

Mr. Thomas had a long discussion with the IUML supremo. The League leader, P.K. Kunhalikutty, also had talks with the IFDP leader at Thangal's residence later.

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