Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar removed senior party MLA Thomas K Thomas from the party's working committee on Tuesday. Sharad Pawar reportedly took action citing serious indiscipline, making irresponsible allegations against party members and filing false complaints among others. It maybe noted that NCP is part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the ruling alliance, in Kerala.
Thomas is an MLA from Kuttanad constituency in Kerala.
The action was initiated after the MLA gave a complaint to Kerala police chief alleging a threat to his life from some members of NCP. However, Kerala president PC Chacko termed the allegation as "Absurd".
On Monday, Thomas had filed a complaint with the state police chief alleging that some members of his party were plotting to kill him in order to force a by-election in the Kuttanad assembly constituency in Alappuzha, which he represents.
In a letter to Thomas, Pawar said, "In view of the serious indiscipline being committed by you, openly defying the authority of the All India President and state President and making irresponsible allegations against Party members, and filing false complaints using your party position is discrediting the image of the party in public and in the Left Democratic Front. I do hereby remove you from the Working Committee of the Nationalist Congress Party."
He said that Cherian had been plotting against him since he was elected MLA.
Thomas said the murder plot had been thwarted after removing Mr. Kuruvila from his position as driver owing to his suspicious actions.
"He was hired as Cherian's driver right away. Kuruvila afterwards called my personal assistant while under the influence of alcohol and detailed the plan to eliminate me. He also revealed that Cherian intended to run in the subsequent byelection in Kuttanad," Thomas stated, as per a report on The Hindu.