The ruling LDF, which emerged victorious in the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 elections, has got a head start in the constituency having already announced CPI’s Rajaji Mathew Thomas as its candidate.
Rajaji Thomas, who had earlier represented Ollur in the state Assembly, is a familiar face on the socio-political firmament here. He has also been editor of he party mouthpiece Janayugam. Here, Rajaji Thomas exudes confidence on his victory prospects in a freewheeling chat with Express Staff Correspondent Gopika Varrier.
Excerpts:
Q. Thrissur has always been regarded as a traditional Congress stronghold. However, it is a different story when it comes to the LS poll. Will the CPI be able to repeat its 2014 success in Thrissur?
A. Now, let me put this in proper perspective: Thrissur has never been a Congress citadel as made out by some sections. In the past several elections, right from KK Warrier and V V Raghavan to sitting MP C N Jayadevan, LDF candidates, especially those representing the CPI, have always had an upper hand. Even the electoral arithmetic favours the CPI and we are hopeful of retaining the Thrissur LS seat this time.
Seven Assembly segments in the Thrissur LS seat stood with the LDF in the 2014 polls. Besides, majority of the local self-government bodies in the Parliament constituency are under LDF rule. This will definitely impact the outcome.
Q. The name of Tom Vadakkan, who crossed over to the BJP from the Congress quite recently, has been doing the rounds as the NDA’s likely candidate in Thrissur. Your thoughts on Vadakkan switching sides and his winnability, if indeed he is fielded from Thrissur?
A. The LDF went ahead and finalised its candidates and for us it hardly matters who the political opponents are. In the Thrissur LS seat, the LDF clearly has the upper hand. Tom Vadakkan’s switch to the BJP is not all surprising since Congressmen always go after power and money. But Vadakkan’s exit should provide food for thought to the Congress leadership. The BJP too is no dfferent in this regard. Also, there is not much difference between the BJP and the Congress on the Hindutva issue. While the BJP follows hardline Hindutva, Congress pursues a moderate Hindutva.
Q. Is Sabarimala issue likely to weigh in on the voters?
A. Attempts are being made to whip up Hindu sentiments through Sabarimala issue. However, the Sabarimala issue will not have an electoral fallout, as per our assessment.
Q. The NH development and the lag in completing work on the Mannuthy-Vadakkenchery stretch is a major issue plaguing voters here. Your prescription for this?
A. Both the Congress and the BJP are responsible for the present condition of National Highway’s Mannuthy-Vadakkenchery stretch. It’s pointless to pass the buck to sitting MP C N Jayadevan or the state government on this count.
Though the Kerala MPs, including C N Jayadevan, repeatedly brought the issue to attention of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who even allocated Rs 35,000 crore for the project, nothing came out of it since the contractors’ lobby calls the shots. Unfortunately, Gadkari is the leader of this lobby and the common people are suffering.
Q. If indeed you are to emerge victorious from the Thrissur seat, what all factors are likely to contribute to your victory?
A. It is definitely the national-level emotions. The Narendra Modi-led BJP-NDA Government at the Centre was fascist and a mere one per cent of the population benefited from its policies.
It was a government for the corporates and by the corporates. They even hijacked the democratic institutions of the country.
The BJP- NDA continues in power having garnered just 33 per cent of the votes, thanks to he democratic system. In such a scenario, the people in Kerala realise only the LDF and the Left bloc can provide the real alternative.
Q. C N Jayadevan, the sitting MP from Thrissur, was the lone CPI member in the outgoing Lok Sabha. With the party opting to field you this time, how do you rate your chances at the hustings?
A. The CPI is upbeat on putting on a much better showing in the coming LS polls. And we expect all the four candidates fielded by the party in Kerala to come up trumps, besides the CPI contenders fighting Parliament polls from Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Odisha to emerge victorious since the public has reposed its faith in the Left parties.