BENGALURU: “I can judge the mood of the people, Congress will win with a comfortable majority and come to power,’’ said senior Congress leader and former Kerala Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.
Speaking exclusively to TNIE, Chennithala said Tuesday’s IT raids in Hubballi were only done to instill fear.
Speaking about the Congress performance in Kerala, Chennithala said it won 19 of 20 seats in Parliament polls, but performed very badly in assembly polls, as issues in assembly and Parliament polls are different. In Rajasthan too, Congress performed poorly in parliamentary polls, but did well in assembly elections, he said.
Soon after assembly polls, action will begin for Parliament elections, he said. Speaking on the contrast in coastal areas of Karnataka, where the BJP does well in assembly polls, as compared to coastal Kerala where the Congress does well, he said, “Even in Karnataka, coastal areas were a stronghold of the Congress until the BJP entered, but we will do well there as people can see through the polarising activities of the BJP.”
On infighting, he said Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar are two strong leaders, and the CLP and high command will decide who will be the final leader of the party.
Asked about the BJP’s overtures to the Christian minority in Kerala, Chennithala said, “The Christian community has suffered because of the BJP and have demonstrated in Delhi, Mumbai and other places, and said BJP and its allies put the community to great pain.”
On the reservation issue, he said, “The BJP was only fooling the people and indulging in giving it to win the polls.’’ He said the Congress’ guarantees, like 10kg foodgrains, 200 units of power, Rs 2,000 to women family head and Rs 3,000 for graduates, would help them do well in the polls. He said the Karnataka government did not win the numbers, and was formed illegitimately by purchasing MLAs from other parties.