Greets Pinarayi before oath-taking; AD Thomas takes sweet revenge

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After taking oath as the MLA from Alappuzha, AD Thomas went straight to Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan and shook hands, thus completing a sweet revenge.

On December 15, 2023, the police pushed back Youth Congress activist A.D. Thomas, who waved a black flag at the then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who reached Alappuzha for Nava Kerala Sadas.

Later, the Chief Minister's gunmen got out of the vehicle with sticks and brutally roughed him up. The incident was so rogue that it was condemned widely across Kerala. Even when the incident became controversial and was criticised by the court, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tried to paint it in a good light. The court order for a re-investigation was not implemented.

The UDF made Thomas a candidate in the Alappuzha constituency in the assembly elections in protest against the government's stance. Shocking even political analysts, Thomas defeated heavyweight Chittaranjan, the former district secretary and sitting MLA of the CPM. Perhaps, if not for the brutal torture he faced, Thomas would not have been able to contest and win. UDF entrusted the SIT to conduct a re-investigation upon taking power in Kerala. The government issued an order at its first cabinet meeting.