How did Congress's CR Mahesh defeat LDF in its stronghold | Interview

KPCC General Secretary C R Mahesh sprang a surprise in Karunagappally assembly constituency by recording a clean finish, defeating CPI’s sitting MLA R Ramachandran. The win by a margin of 29,096 votes was sweet revenge for Mahesh.  

Cut back to 2016. Ramachandran had humbled Mahesh by a narrow margin. Unperturbed, Mahesh pushed on, spending time with the voters over the past five years, only to wrestle the LDF stronghold from the CPI. 

Mahesh reveals his winning secret in an interview. Excerpts:

You registered a thumping victory after losing the seat in 2016 on a slender margin. What do you say about your surprise win?

Once you stand for the people and win their confidence, they will blindly stand by you and support you generously. Political, caste and religious considerations won’t affect their stand. I lost in 2016 due to rumours that made the voters misunderstand me. Over the past five years, I could convince them what I am. 

What lesson has your victory imparted to the Congress? Never to flee after defeat?

Yes. The party gives you an opportunity to contest, and you may lose due to various reasons. It could be bad luck or adverse political conditions. Defeat is not the end of the road. You should be with the people not with the aim of becoming an MLA or MP. I have been helping others in whatever means I could. Congress is one way of helping others. Otherwise I would become a communist. I had been to places where the MLA couldn’t visit. I provided television sets to children, food kits and even houses with help of several friends, including expats. I don’t need much money except for hiring autorickshaws, washing laundry and buying sweets for my children. Even if I find Rs 1 crore on the street, I would need only Rs 1,000. 

Were you hopeful of a win when you spent five years in a Left stronghold?

It was a huge risk. Several well-wishers advised me to shift to another constituency. But I kept remembering the decision I had taken at noon on the counting day in 2016. Once the result had been out, friends advised me to go home. I knew that if I went home, there wouldn't be a return. So I attended a wedding. I happily posed for photographs and enjoyed the biryani. I saw women in purdah next to me crying in silence. It assured me that the people do not hate me, and that I could win if I stand for them.  

You were deliberately paving the way for your win?

I can’t say that was the only reason. I come from the lower strata of society, and people behave freely with me. I have a wide circle of friends. All types of people are among my friends. I travel by foot, scooter or autorickshaws and sometimes by car. If ‘communist’ refers to one who follows the communist style of living, I was the communist among the candidates. Hence the voters did not hesitate to support me.

You exude so much sincerity, but still you had left Congress briefly? 

Yes, there was truth in me, and that’s why I could return and become the general secretary of a party which I had abandoned. My statement that Rahul Gandhi should be more active was misinterpreted as I had made a statement supporting the Sangh Parivar. The move to brand me communal pained me, and hence I resigned. I attended several Left programmes after my resignation and that too might have contributed to my victory. Meanwhile, I kept sending letters to Rahul Gandhi with an aim to make him understand the issues here. Later when we met, he asked if I was willing to take up the responsibility of the Youth Congress at the national level. He understood that I was clean. Rahul-ji phoned the then KPCC president M M Hassan in my presence. Hassan-ji was surprised. 

You have concentrated on a single constituency for five years. What were the organizational weaknesses you have found?

The biggest drawback is that no one knows who is a Congress worker. If a meeting is convened in a booth, those attending the event will be 'the Congress' that particular day, If 20 people are absent at the next meeting, others attending become Congress workers. Nobody knows where the absentees had gone or from where the new members came from. Membership in the Congress is only for capturing power in the organization and it is granted casually. For other parties, membership is the heart of the organization, and it is not easy to get one. Since Congress doesn’t follow such a norm, the party became an organization of a motley crowd.

A structured and serious approach should be made to grant membership and thereby save the party. Before the polls, I bought 151 minutes books, and pasted Rahul Gandhi’s picture on them. I also printed 250 copies of a notice to organize a convention. These were handed over directly to those concerned and we organized booth-level committees and conventions. I cross-checked the collected phone numbers personally and cemented my relation with each voter.

Though you have gained personally, the UDF faced a debacle. What happened to Congress?

People should have the feeling that the Congress is a serious political party. Congress workers should stop jostling for getting photographed and acting for publicity. Self-promotion through flex boards should be halted. Not just policies and approaches, even our behavior should change. We should also usher in socialist thoughts. 

Even as you registered a surprise win, most other youngsters and fresh faces lost the polls. Do you have a message for them?

Yes. Speak from the heart, and be sincere in your actions. Political work should be transparent. Never act before the people. People get convinced and trust us when we make our lives transparent. That trust translates into votes.