THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after Congress leaders mounted an attack on Shashi Tharoor, MP, over his Modi remarks, Tharoor told Express the Congress had to revamp its strategy to become a winning party again. It should ensure credibility in its criticism against Narendra Modi.
The Congress has to make sure that its criticisms are taken seriously by the public. “If we act as if Modi has done nothing, however flawed, then we are saying that people who voted for him are stupid, which is not a position that wins Congress votes,” said Tharoor.
What has Modi got right?
First, not much, as I have pointed out at length in my 500-page takedown of the Modi government, The Paradoxical Prime Minister. But, he has been effective in taking his vote percentage from 31 per cent in 2014 to 37 per cent in 2019. Clearly, enough voters thought he was delivering something for them. We need to acknowledge that, but point out its limitations.
“I want the Congress, together with progressive, secular and liberal parties, to come back to power. For that, it is not enough to keep attracting core Congress supporters. We need to win back the trust of those who deserted us for the BJP in the past two elections. That requires addressing what has attracted them to Modi. Then, our criticism has more credibility. That’s all I’ve been saying,” he said.
‘Don’t demonise Modi’
“Don’t demonise Modi” is not my phrase. You need to ask Jairam Ramesh about it. The BJP clearly thinks I have demonised Modi, because they have filed three cases against me, which my Congress critics should hail as a badge of honour, instead of demonising me!
All I said in the one tweet that has been blown up into such a huge controversy, is the PM should be praised whenever he says or does the right thing, which would add credibility to our criticisms whenever he errs.”“It seems the excoriation continues, but I urge my critics to look at the national picture and realise how we have to revamp our strategy to become a winning party,” said Tharoor.