Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 Former top Congress leader K.V.Thomas, who had defied the party leadership and joined hands with the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front last year, was on Thursday given a cabinet rank post in New Delhi.
His appointment was cleared at the weekly cabinet meeting held here chaired by Vijayan. Thomas, also a former union minister, will be Kerala's special representative in Delhi.
As a Congressman, the 77-year-old veteran had won five terms to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Kerala Assembly and was a cabinet minister in the A.K.Antony cabinet besides being a Union Minister in the second UPA government.
His days in the Congress were numbered ever since he was officially removed from key party posts for attending the 23rd CPI(M) party Congress held at Kannur on April 10, despite being stopped by the then AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
And his ouster came when he attended the first election rally of the CPI(M)-led Left at the Thrikkakara by-election on May 12 last year held at Kochi and heaped praises on Vijayan.
Several leaders in the party who have been longtime colleagues of Thomas described him then as the "modern-day Judas", for defying the party high command.
His stock seemed to rise then, but with the Congress candidate winning hugely at Thrikkakara, Thomas was no longer seen in public space. His elevation to Delhi by the Vijayan government is being seen as a new lease of life and by posting him to Delhi, where he has deep roots, Vijayan felt he could help Kerala's needs when it comes to politicking, for which Thomas is known for.
Reacting to the development, K.Muraleedharan his former Lok Sabha colleague and son of K.Karunakaran termed the new post nothing but "peanuts' '.
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