Pawar is a 'backstabber': Thomas in book on Sonia

Titled, 'Backstabbing', a chapter describes how Sonia felt cheated when Pawar for first time raised Sonia's foreign origin issue

Amid conflicting signals from Congress’s biggest ally, the Nationalist Congress Party, a book written by Food Minister K V Thomas could further vitiate the relationship between the allies. The book, Sonia - The Beloved of the Masses, has a full chapter on how Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar scuttled Sonia’s nomination as the prime  ministerial candidate of the Congress in 1999 to further his prime ministerial ambitions.  Titled Backstabbing, the chapter described how Gandhi felt cheated when Pawar raised her foreign-origin issue, despite her role in making him leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.

An updated and translated version of Thomas’s Malayalam book, ‘Sonia Priyankari’, the new book lays down how Pawar had nursed the ambition of becoming second-in-command in the Congress, which was occupied by Arjun Singh, and if Sonia became the PM after the 13th Lok Sabha, his ambition would never be realised.



It also details intricate insider account of how things moved in Congress circles around the time Pawar along with P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar raised the banner of revolt against Sonia’s foreign origin.

The book comes at a time when relationship between the Congress and the NCP has reached a new low over speculation over the latter’s growing proximity towards BJP. Though, both the allies managed to clinch a seat-sharing arrangement in Maharashtra, insiders think things are yet to smoothen out.



Thomas, a known Sonia loyalist, worked under Pawar as the minister of state for agriculture and food and consumer affairs from 2009 to 2011, before being elevated as MoS (independent charge) for food and consumer affairs in 2011. Ever since his elevation, he has enjoyed a rather stony relationship with his counterpart in agriculture and food processing ministry.

Pawar’s strident opposition to Sonia Gandhi’s pet project, the National Food Security Act, both inside and outside the government and Thomas’s vociferous support has been the talk in the corridors of power for some time.



In recent times, both the ministries have locked horns over the quantum of subsidy for export of raw sugar, with Pawar favouring a higher subsidy, while Thomas pitching for less. In other issues like the ones related to spiraling prices of essential commodities, both the ministers have not been on the same page at times.

The book will be released by Defence Minister A K Antony, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Minister of State for Education Shashi Tharoor next week.

It also details how Sonia was instrumental in clearing the Food Bill and why she opposed Robert Vadhera’s marriage to her daughter Priyanka, because of his familial ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.