Shashi Tharoor, former Union minister and Congress’ Lok Sabha candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, is confident of winning for the third time from the constituency. In an exclusive interview with Opinion Editor Viju Cherian while on a ‘paryadanam’ or campaign trail, Tharoor talks why the BJP did well in 2014, about the Left’s reaction to Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad and about his rivals from the CPI and the BJP. Excerpts:
Q: It's early days into the campaign, how has the response been so far?
A: It’s not early days; we’ve campaigned for three weeks now and there are three more left. It’s looking very good. We’re able to judge by the smiles, handshakes and waves of people that there is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and I expect to win with a bigger majority than last time.
Q: Your vote percentage in 2014 vis-à-vis 2009 came down by about 10.20%; since then, the BJP has expanded its base in the constituency. How do you see that?
A: No, I don’t see it that way. Last time, I lost young voters who bought into the dreams that Mr (Narendra) Modi was peddling. They’ve seen five years of the reality — hollow rhetoric, empty promises and unfulfilled schemes, and they’re not going to be fooled again.
Last time, a lot of young voters truthfully told me that they had enough of the Congress and that they were going for PM Modi. Today, most young voters I meet in colleges and streets are overwhelmingly with me. In fact, in a couple of informal polls, we’re getting over 70% support from the youth. Even though there are some sort of traditional Left families here and so on, there’s very little support for BJP. So I’m not worried about that calculation.
Q: Both the Left and the BJP see you as competition…
A: I am the sitting MP and leading in all people’s estimates, and, on top of that, they’re both trying to bring me down. I’m a bit surprised that the Left, which has made such a song and dance about Rahul Gandhi contesting against them in Wayand, has actually played the BJP’s game here by trying to take away my core votes. I find that very strange. But in any case, I’ll weather their storm.
Q: With Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad, there’s talk about a Left-BJP consolidation in a few seats. Do you think that’ll happen here in Thiruvananthapuram against you?
A: Well, there is certainly every indication of, of not consolidation, playing into each other’s hands. The BJP is taking away some votes of mine… but they’d already done that in 2014. The Left, however, is trying to make a very strong pitch against me in some areas, like the coastal areas that have traditionally backed me. And they (Left) should know that if they succeed — which they won’t — the only ones they can help is the BJP. So, it does seem a rather perverse strategy. I can’t imagine that their top leadership really would rather see a BJP MP here than me.
Q: How do you see you opponents in this election? The BJP’s candidate from Thiruvananthapuram is a former governor and, perhaps, BJP’s tallest state leader.
A: I respect both my opponents and I take them seriously. As you say, one is a former governor and the other is a former state minister. One has been an activist in the state and the other has been a long-time Communist politician for over 40 years. One must show them the respect of taking them seriously and I do.
But I’m not intimidated or unduly worried, because, I think that the BJP, for example, showed their true desperation by their avid pursuit of actor Mohanlal. It was very clearly being said that he was the only one who could take me on. When he declined, poor Kummannam [Rajashekaran] was dragged from an eight-month governorship to come and contest. So I feel a bit sorry for him to give up the comforts of Raj Bhavan as a second choice. But that’s not my problem, it’s the BJP’s. I’m not too worried about that.
As for [CPI's candidate] Divakaran, the fair question many people are asking is: He’s worked well in this district but what on earth is he going to do in Delhi? The job of an MP is in Delhi, in Parliament, with the central governmental, ministries, central bureaucracy — I’m afraid Mr Divakaran does not inspire much confidence in that area.
So, although I do not want to say anything negative about either of them, I believe I’m being seen by most thinking people here as the only truly viable choice to represent them in Delhi.
Unlike the others, I do have the satisfaction of not just being the first choice, but the only choice of my party for this seat.
Q: In quintessential Tharoor style, describe your campaign so far in one word.
A: One word won’t sum it up. It’s been exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.
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