With the campaign in full throttle, how confident are you about winning?
I’m aware that I’m seen as the underdog. As the expression goes, the underdog fights with all the more spirit. What’s encouraging is a number of ordinary party workers from across the countries who are pledging their support to me. Ever since the election was announced, I’ve been getting calls and visits from several party workers from all over the country. The tremendous amount of enthusiasm shows that party workers seem to believe that I represent a genuine possibility of change.
You said that Kharge is a candidate of continuity. Are you saying that the high command culture is here to stay?
All I’m saying is that Kharge is one of the top leaders in the party as it exists now. If anyone was to ask for the top three Congress leaders without counting the Gandhis, definitely Kharge will figure in the list. So it’s a fair assumption that if he was an advocate of change, we would have seen the change at the top already. Whereas I don’t have the baggage in the current organisation, other than being the founder and developer of an organisation called ‘All India Professionals Congress’. So not being entrenched in the present organisation is an advantage to me whereas Kharge is very clearly part of the existing system. It’s a reasonable assumption to make that he will continue with the present way of doing things. Gehlot has said that Tharoor should withdraw from the race. I cannot let down dozens of party workers who stuck their necks out by signing my forms and even the larger number of workers who have reached out extending support to me.
Do you still believe that the Gandhis are neutral after all the support Kharge is receiving?
You can’t ask me whether I doubt the word of Congress president, former president and the party’s election authority. All of them are insisting that the high command is totally neutral.
The G-23 leaders too have endorsed Kharge. One of the leaders told this newspaper that you didn’t consult them.
At no stage, I sought to be a representative of the G-23, which is actually a figment of media imagination. I’ve spoken to every individual who subsequently signed on the nomination of Kharge, about my intentions. It doesn’t bother me because the sort of establishment of the party has rallied around the top and that’s entirely their privilege. My decision to contest is an individual decision that I find myself becoming the voice of a large number of people who perhaps see themselves as voiceless in the party. As a result, I’m able to advance some ideas in the course of the campaign that represent their interests and wishes for all of us.
Many have raised concerns about the poll process. Do you believe it is done in a free and fair manner?
The fact is that if you want to play a game of cricket, we have to bat on the pitch that’s available. As far as I’m concerned, I’m not going to make an issue of that. It’s a challenge to contact 9100 people (Congress delegates eligible to vote in the party president election), when there’s no relevant information. Not even 10 per cent of them have given their phone numbers. With the limited time available, we have to do our best to reach out to people.
What will be the Gandhis’ role in the scheme of things, and why are they indispensable to the party?
They are indispensable because the party’s DNA is linked to their DNA. The party would also be foolish to cast aside the invaluable benefits conferred by the extraordinary impact of the name, legacy and individual charisma of the Gandhis. Bharat Jodo Yatra is testimony to it. If they don’t want to run the party, that’s their privilege, or preference, but definitely it would be unwise of the party to use the extraordinary assets that they represent, I hope that they will stay fully involved.