Thiruvananthapuram: A day after CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan termed K.R. Gowriamma’s claim that she was offered the chief minister’s post ahead of the 2006 Assembly elections as baseless, the JSS president reiterated that she was indeed approached by Dr T.M. Thomas Isaac with the offer.
She said Vijayan was suffering from amnesia. “Thomas Isaac approached me and requested me to return to the CPM. It was with the clear offer of making me the chief minister.
Even Prakash Karat was aware of the developments. But the matter ended there as I refused to accept the offer,’’ she added.
Soon after her statement, Dr Thomas Isaac spoke to the media refuting her charge.
“As Alappuzha MLA, I have met Gowriamma several times to discuss various issues confronting the people of the constituency. Other than these issues, I have not discussed anything else. Her claim that the party had offered chief minister’s post was strange as no such discussion was held,’’ he added.
When contacted, Vijayan refused to be drawn into the controversy and remarked: “The CPM is not in such a pathetic situation to offer chief ministership to someone who has been expelled from the organisation.’’ Dr Thomas Isaac had already clarified the party position, he added.
Lawrence rubbishes Gowri claim
Thiruvananthapuram: CITU leader M.M. Lawrence on Tuesday rubbished Ms K.R. Gowriamma’s claims saying that she was in the habit of making such baseless statements.
“Had we made her the chief minister, the story of CPM would have been over by now,’’ he told reporters.
There was no question of the party offering the chief minister’s post to someone who had thrown party discipline to the winds while she was part of the organisation, he said.
