Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) vice president V.D. Satheeshan has steered clear of the party’s factional booby traps. Though he personally held an opinion different from his party’s line on the Sabarimala issue, he was quick to jump to the party’s defence in the matter. He speaks on the unfolding election scene:
What impact will Rahul Gandhi’s candidature in Wayanad have on the UDF’s prospects?
It is after a long time that a prime ministerial candidate is contesting from the south and it will have a positive impact for the Congress across southern India, especially in Kerala. It will help sway many fence-sitters among voters in favour of us.
Is Mr. Gandhi sending out a wrong signal by choosing a constituency outside of the Hindi heartland?
Was Narendra Modi scared of losing in Vadodara that he chose to contest from Varnasi as well in the last elections? Further, the BJP has no moral heft to criticise the choice of multiple constituencies since their leaders outnumber that of the Congress when it comes to contesting from more than one constituency, with the list including the likes of A.B. Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, and Mr. Modi.
Was Mr. Gandhi’s candidature in Wayanad a fallout of factional feud within the Congress in Kerala?
Congress State unit had requested Mr. Gandhi to contest from a seat in Kerala even before his candidature from Wayanad was decided. Since a positive response was not immediately forthcoming, the screening committee submitted a list of names for all seats and the name of T. Siddique was unanimously proposed for Wayanad.
Will the BJP campaign that the UDF and LDF will join hands post-poll sway voters?
The Left will hardly be a force to reckon with in this election and they are unlikely to have more than two or three MPs. The political climate in 2019 is different from what it was in 2004 when they sent maximum number of MPs from West Bengal and Kerala. Their only chance of winning even the few seats outside Kerala is in alliance with the Congress.
Will the Congress stand on Sabarimala issue prove costly for the party in this election?
Never. In fact, we will be rewarded for the non-violent and non-polarising way in which we politically exposed the BJP and the CPI(M) stance on the issue. While the BJP tried to communally polarise the people, the CPI(M) tried to polarise the Hindu community into forward and backward classes and decimate the principal Opposition Congress by creating space for the BJP. The government lacked statesmanship in handling a sensitive issue, inviting the wrath of the faithful who will vote for us knowing that the BJP will not be able to defeat the CPI(M) in any constituency.