Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran is buoyed by the exit poll predictions that gave a clear upper hand to the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Lok Sabha polls. This is the first litmus test for Mullappally, who was put at the helm of the Congress in Kerala in 2018. If the predictions are proved right on May 23, the day of the counting, it would be a great achievement for Mullappally for guiding the Congress and the UDF to victory.
Excerpts from an interview with Manorama:
The UDF claims that it would sweep all the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. But even the exit polls do not make any such tall claims.
The UDF candidate has an advantage over the Left or the BJP candidate in all the 20 constituencies. You cannot even write off one constituency. There is a strong sentiment in Kerala against both Modi and Pinarayi governments. The UDF calculations were made after an honest analysis. The exit polls too have made strong predictions.
The CPM, meanwhile, is claiming that the anti-Modi wave would help the Left parties and that the scenario of 2004 would be repeated when the Congress-led government was supported by the Left.
Well, the CPM's calculations would go wrong this time around. The events of 2004 will not be repeated. Why would the people of Kerala vote for the Left due to the anti-Modi wave?
Like Modi, a failed leader is ruling this state too. If one is a fascist, the other is a Stalinist. They are virtually two sides of the same coin.
What about the predictions that BJP would open account in Kerala?
There is no question of BJP winning a seat in Kerala. Their hopes are fixed on Thiruvananthapuram. But the person (Kummanam Rajasekharan) who is contesting there cannot be even considered as a BJP candidate. He is a candidate of the Hindu Mahasabha.
The BJP has been able to sow the seeds of Hindutva politics in Thiruvananthapuram. But the people cannot be taken for granted. They know Shashi Tharoor is the one who should represent them in the Lok Sabha.
Then does that mean that even the Left-supporting people have voted for Tharoor?
People who believe in the Parliamentary system of democracy would vote for Tharoor. They will not vote for anyone else.
The general opinion, including that of the CPM, is that the BJP's vote share is likely to increase.
You cannot brush off such possibilities in certain areas. The BJP was able to create a lot of confusion among the faithful over Sabarimala women's entry row, especially in the southern districts.
However, when the agitation got stronger, the faithful realised that the BJP and the RSS were cheating them, and that the Congress' stance was right.
If the BJP's vote share increases, will it lead to the dwindling of UDF votes and help the LDF like in the 2016 assembly polls?
This time around, it will not happen. Whenever there is a bid for Hindu unification, it opens up another window wherein you will win votes which traditionally don’t come your way. This will be the first time after 1952 that the Congress has got such a big support from the minority communities.
Do you believe that while the Congress was able to win the backing of the Nair Service Society (NSS). It had alienated the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP)?
The Congress believes that the NSS took a favourable stand towards the party. However, the SNDP is not completely against the Congress. Some of the outfit’s members are working for Congress at the local level. Even if the leadership has given any instruction, it does not mean these would be fully implemented.
The Congress also claims of a Rahul-wave in Kerala. But does that mean if Rahul had not contested from Wayanad, then such a surge would not have been possible?
There was kind of an awakening after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi agreed to contest from Wayanad. All 20 constituencies responded with a renewed interest to UDF.
What if Rahul abandons Wayanad after winning it?
We want Rahul to represent Wayanad in the Lok Sabha. We hope our wish would be fulfilled.
Even if the UDF does make any gains in LS polls, wouldn’t it be because of the prevailing political situation and not due to any merit of the Congress organisational system?
It has been only seven months since I became the KPCC chief. During this short time, I have done all that is possible to revive the party. One can never claim that the party’s organisational system is solid. If it were so, we would have achieved even more a glittering victory. Still the UDF battled as one.
But if we need to continue the victory run, we need to address the problems. Some of the candidates have raised serious allegations. After consulting the All-India Congress Committee (AICC), strong action would be taken.
What is the use of complaining that names were deleted from the voters' list after the elections?
We don’t have a fool-proof system of functioning. These are all lessons for the party to learn from. We are not taking the CPM or the BJP lightly. The latter has the support of the RSS. However, the Congress cannot afford to be in an inert state.
Only 60 per cent of the booths are functioning properly. There are some dormant committees even in the higher rungs of the party. The District Congress Committees (DCCs) too are not functioning up to the mark. There are some 'jumbo' committees that have reached the top without any hard work. However, from now on, only those who work for the party would be given the deserving positions.
If an anti-BJP government is formed at the Centre, then wouldn't your rival CPM too have a role to play in it?
The CPM has no role in it. The Left is in a pathetic state in Bengal and Tripura. If they manage to win any seat, that would be in Tamil Nadu. They are unlikely to win any seats in Kerala. It will be just a regional party.
But some would argue that the Congress got the benefit of the anti-Modi wave that even the Left had helped to spread.
When has (chief minister) Pinarayi Vijayan taken a stance against Narendra Modi? Pinarayi has been having tie-ups with the BJP on the sly. The Pinarayi government is a disaster. It was trying to create some sort of impression before the elections. However, both the Congress and the opposition have been trying to expose 'the fascist in Modi'. People are aware of this.
