Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran is literally running between Parassala and Kasaragod with the campaign activities ahead of the state Assembly elections. Even during his hectic schedule, Mullappally took some time to speak to Manorama.
Here are excerpts from the interview.
• What do you think are the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s prospects in the polls?
The UDF will hit a century in terms of the number of seats. I am saying with the same confidence as in the Lok Sabha polls. Ours is an excellent candidate list, comprising over 55 per cent fresh faces and youth, and seasoned leaders. This manifesto, prepared after holding discussions with the public, is realistic and popular. That would also reflect in the elections.
• Pre-poll surveys are predicting that LDF has the edge?
When I contested in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, no survey predicted that I would win. Whenever the surveys predicted that I would fail, I have won. During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, surveys had predicted 16-17 seats for the Left Democratic Front (LDF). But how many did they get? Just one. Survey agencies had come to the KPCC office and met me as well. If we wanted, they would have done the survey. I don’t believe in these surveys. People are the masters. And their survey would be held on April 6.
• Didn’t the outbursts over candidate selection reduce the sheen of the list? Mahila Congress state chief tonsured her head and left the party.
Such outbursts do happen. What happened in the CPM? Didn't the cadres protest at Kuttiadi? In Alappuzha, they even named the Chief Minister during the protests? The internal problems in the BJP are out in the public. The Congress had given several posts to Lathika Subhash. Didn’t we even give a seat to her husband? Though she asked for the Ettumanoor seat this time, it had to be given to the Kerala Congress. I held talks with Lathika Subash through several people. But she was adamant that she wanted Ettumanoor. And what did she do finally? She did an appalling act that should not have happened at the Congress headquarters. She fell for the CPM conspiracy. The women who went with her apologised to me later.
• In what appears to be a first in Kerala in recent times, the nomination papers of BJP candidates got rejected. They don’t even have dummy candidates. The LDF alleged that this is to help the UDF, while the Congress claims of a CPM-BJP deal?
It was not a coincidence that the nomination papers got rejected at three places. Normally, the BJP candidates' nominations are submitted after scrutiny at the RSS centre. This is the covert ploy of the CPM and BJP. This is what we have been talking about. The BJP is conniving with the CPM to win 4-5 seats. Their demand is for 10 seats.
• Though you said that Sabarimala would not be made the main campaign issue, it is being actively discussed?
We did not plan to make it the main campaign issue. When the CPM showed double standards, Congress decided to bring it to light. While saying that women's entry should be allowed, the CPM formed a women's wall by spending Rs 50 crore from the public exchequer. But they have backtracked from that position and are now making random statements. Finally, Yechury said the first stance was right. Which one should be believed?
• Though you expressed your wish to contest in the polls, you had to back off. What was the reason?
I had no such wish. The High Command had said that I should contest this time. Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal also told me several times. But I decided against contesting this time also to reach out to all the constituencies, just like the Lok Sabha polls.
• For LDF, Pinarayi Vijayan is the captain. Who is the captain of the UDF?
Ours is a collective leadership. Everyone is moving forward together.
