Senior Congress leader says that the ethos of the party is at variance with the sentiments of the people of Kerala
There may be factionalism within the Congress, but different factions always come together to contest elections, senior Congress leaders and MPs from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor. He speaks about his hopes for a possible change of the UDF’s electoral prospects in the Kerala assembly elections as to why the BJP cannot succeed in the state and the G-23. Edited excerpts:
Opinion polls show that the CPI (M) -led LDF in Kerala is voting. Your comment?
These opinion polls are unreliable. As British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson said, “One week is a long time in politics” and we have about four weeks to go before voting. Even the most recent elections were held a few weeks ago. Therefore, I believe that between the elections and the weeks left for campaigning, this election is about to go ahead and the UDF will win.
Recently PC Chacko left the Congress alleging factionalism in the party’s Kerala unit. Is this factionalism not pulling the Congress down?
PC Chacko is a highly respected former colleague. But he is a former NCP leader and has now given a ‘ghar wapsi’ to NCP. On the question of factionalism, it is a part of all parties which we cannot exempt from our share. But the faction always remained together when it comes to contesting elections. The interesting thing about the Congress is that whatever factions are there, they sort out their differences and work unitedly for the victory of the party and the UDF.
The brand in the LDF is Pinarayi, while the UDF has no chief ministerial face. Aren’t you going to the polls with disabilities?
I do not think so. When a chief minister is there, that person actually becomes the brand leader. In the last elections, the CPI-M also did not have the face of the chief minister. The Congress is not traditionally the chief ministerial candidate, especially when there is no ruling. The good thing is that we have a galaxy of selections of such outstanding talents and so many people. We all know who our senior leaders are and I assure you that voters will know who they want when they choose the winners.
The BJP is doing everything possible to increase its presence in Kerala. How do you see the BJP’s electoral prospects?
I think the BJP is finding it difficult to manage the success of its record of winning one out of 140 seats. Even a seat, Nimom, would be difficult to hold, especially since both the Congress and the CPI-M have put up. Strong candidate there. But I would say that the overall credibility of the BJP must have reached its plateau. In the last 15 years, it has gone from being a 6% party to a 15% party. I have explored the extent to which this may be possible. I have some suspicion that this will increase drastically, largely because Kerala’s ethos differs from that of North India, where the BJP has shaped its communal strategy, its polarization strategy. It has an effective organization and a lot of money. But money and muscle alone do not let you win elections. You should be able to appeal to the sentiments of the voters. The BJP’s ethos is at variance with the sentiments of the people of Kerala, which is largely free from bigotry.
You were speculating about contesting the Kerala Assembly elections. Are you considering adopting state politics?
I did not look for it. I have a job here and am playing a role in Congress as an MP and chairman of the IT Standing Committee. I see my political trends to a large extent as national and international. But even if the party wants to ask me anything, I will not say in the interest of the party and Kerala. But I did not look for it and in fact the party did not ask me. So here i am.
You were one of the 23 leaders, now known as G-23, who wrote to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. But since then you seem to have taken a step back from the group. You were not seen at the recent public meeting addressed by some members of the G-23 in Jammu, where several derogatory remarks were made against the party’s central leadership. Why is this?
I could not go to Jammu. In any case, I was conducting manifesto consultation in Kerala and I could not be anywhere else. The G-23 is not some kind of organization which the media has called concocted; It is a group of like-minded Congress leaders who are talking about strengthening the Congress. Apart from myself, every other person I know in the group has openly stated that they want to work for the Congress victory in these five state elections. I do not see any contradiction between him and the Congress leadership or between him and me. If people like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal and Manish Tiwari are saying that they want to see Congress win in these five states elections and I am really going to the state where I represent Parliament to work . That victory, what a contradiction? I am not disobeying anyone. I have not made any combative comments. I want the party to be stronger.
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