'Left will be shown its place, UDF poised for comfortable win': Shashi Tharoor - Hindustan Times
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'Left will be shown its place, UDF poised for comfortable win': Shashi Tharoor

By | Edited by Sparshita Saxena, Thiruvananthapuram
Apr 05, 2021 10:14 PM IST

In an interview with HT, the Congress MP said, “divisive BJP can’t make any impact in pluralist, inclusive Kerala”.

He is one of the star campaigners of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala. He crisscrossed the state and interacted with a cross-section of people to prepare the party’s manifesto for the April 6 assembly elections. Shashi Tharoor, also an MP from Thiruvananthapuram, spoke to Hindustan Times about UDF’s prospects, BJP’s threat and many other issues ahead of the Kerala assembly polls. Here are the excerpts from the interview.

File photo: Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor. (PTI)
File photo: Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor. (PTI)

Q: It is a close fight in Kerala. You travelled across the state and talked to a crosssection of people. Will you agree the state will stick to its usual script of booting out the incumbent?

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A: I think we are poised for a comfortable victory. The arrogance, violent politics and corruption of the LDF government, coupled with gross financial mismanagement, have created anti-incumbency. In addition, our “people’s manifesto”, arrived at after extensive consultations, and our list of candidates, featuring 55% fresh faces, have inspired confidence. Against the proven corruption over which the LDF has presided, we offer far-reaching welfare provisions, major educational reform, and an investor-friendly approach that will generate much-needed revenues for the state, whereas the LDF has been shamelessly piling on debt for future generations to pay.

Q: Almost all poll surveys have predicted an edge to the ruling dispensation. Can you simply brush them aside as mere publicity blitzkrieg?

A: The pre-poll surveys, the most recent of which asked voters’ opinions more than two weeks ago and in less than a third of the constituencies, reflect the crores of rupees in pre-election publicity the LDF spent, blanketing the media with their propaganda. That is wearing off as the campaign progresses and the last ten days have seen a decisive shift in momentum towards the UDF. I tweeted a warning a week ago to the ruling party, “do not count the ships in the harbour but see which way the wind is blowing” It’s even truer now that the wind is blowing the UDF’s way.

Also read: Kerala polls - Police personnel, central forces, drones deployed for security

Q: In the high-pitch campaign, the Congress-led UDF came up considerably in the last lap. How did Gandhi siblings help in this?

A: I have no doubt that the active, recurrent and tireless presence of the Gandhi siblings made a real difference. They have been everywhere. Other factors also helped. For instance, 55% of our candidates are fresh faces and it takes some time for first-timers to be recognized and establish their appeal. That is clearly happening and the momentum has turned our way. I expect a comfortable victory when the results are announced on May 2.

Q: You talked to many youngsters while preparing the manifesto. Are they really disgusted with present-day politics? What are their aspirations?

A: The interactions were indispensable because they gave us an opportunity to hear from all sections of society about their problems, anxieties, needs and aspirations. We spoke to experts and ordinary people; entrepreneurs and employees; teachers and students; hotel owners and auto-rickshaw drivers; vulnerable women, landless Dalits, IT professionals and business investors. The manifesto reflects our best understanding of what the people of Kerala wish to see going forward. Against the proven corruption over which the LDF has presided, we offer far-reaching welfare provisions, major educational reforms, and an investor-friendly approach that will generate much-needed revenues for the state. Employment is in crisis with 40.5% of Kerala’s youngsters unemployed and even those who studied hard and made it to the PSC rank-lists now find themselves bypassed for government jobs via the back door by Communists and their family members. Young people want jobs, a fair share and new opportunities. Our manifesto provides them all this – for instance, an internship programme with incentives to companies and credit for students to conduct such internships while the student is still in college. This was suggested by a student at St Teresa’s in Kochi on my visit.

Q: In many areas, apolitical outfits (like the Twenty20) pose a real challenge to mainline political parties. Do you think they pose any danger to the democratic system?

A: They do pose a danger to “politics as usual”. I, for one, am not prepared to attack a party that promises to provide clean and efficient administration. Every citizen deserves just that. But “apolitical” groups have no answers to the great political issues of our time. They are implementers, not policy-makers. That will never be enough in any democracy.

Q: It is a fact that after every election BJP-NDA votes are going up. Will Kerala remain an impregnable fort to saffron forces?

A: The BJP can only offer communalism, tired scare-mongering over “love Jihad” and a hate-filled politics of bigotry and division that will never go far in pluralist, inclusive Kerala. They have gone from a 5% party to a 15% party and have hit their ceiling in the state. Mr Sreedharan’s impact peaked with the announcement of his candidacy. An 88-year-old technocrat cannot be the answer to the state’s political future.

Also read: Sabarimala to BJP - Key factors at play in Kerala

Q: Any plan to get active in state politics?

A: I am hardly inactive! I led the manifesto consultations before the elections. As a “star campaigner”, I have campaigned in 56 different constituencies for UDF candidates. But that is the extent of my involvement in state politics so far. I do have a job to do in New Delhi, entrusted to me by the party and by the voters of Thiruvananthapuram. That is where I expect to continue, unless and until the party wills otherwise.

Q: Opposition parties say Rahul Gandhi’s pet project NYAY is impossible to implement. What do you say about it?

A: NYAY has been devised after thorough homework and costing. We will ensure it is implemented as a model programme for the rest of the nation to emulate. 6,000 rupees a month to the poorest households is not an impossible dream. It will be implemented.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Ramesh Babu is HT’s bureau chief in Kerala, with about three decades of experience in journalism.

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