Election manifesto: Shashi Tharoor to interact with youths in five districts
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor, MP, has been included in the team to prepare the UDF’s election manifesto. The UDF committee has been visiting various districts to elicit proposals from a wide range of people. The decision to use Tharoor’s skills was taken at the AICC-appointed election management and strategy committee’s meeting chaired by Oommen Chandy here on Saturday.
Tharoor will be travelling across five districts to garner the public’s views for bringing out a “people’s manifesto”. The AICC is keen on cashing in on Tharoor’s popularity among the masses, especially youths and students. This is the first time in Tharoor’s 12-year-old political stint as Thiruvananthapuram MP that the KPCC has brought him to the forefront of state politics.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala engrossed in a
serious conversation as Oommen Chandy speaks to
reporters after the first sitting of the election
management and strategy committee of the KPCC in
Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday | Vincent Pulickal
A few months ago, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran had sought Tharoor’s explanation on the infamous letter addressed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. It was Oommen Chandy who had ensured that Tharoor was included in the high-power strategy committee.It should be recalled that both Chandy and Tharoor enjoy a special rapport and he is the only leader to address the former chief minister as “OC chettan”. Tharoor is being brought to the forefront at a crucial juncture after the civic body election losses the state Congress had suffered.
“We will come up with a manifesto after eliciting the views and demands of a cross-section of people. The committee will hold its sittings at various centres. Tharoor will hold talks with youths and students in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Palakkad and Kozhikode districts,” said Chandy.The UDF has already formed an election manifesto committee with Benny Behanan as its convenor. The committee has been travelling across the state and holding talks with various stakeholders to bring out a people-friendly manifesto under the slogan, ‘Clean and good governance’.
Tharoor took to his Twitter handle after the first meeting of the strategy committee saying, “Inspiring to see the commitment and focus of veteran leaders led by Oommen Chandy, Chennithala and Mullappally in the presence of AICC observers.” He has since returned to New Delhi. While K Muraleedharan, MP, did not attend the first sitting due to official commitments at his Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency, former KPCC president V M Sudheeran too could not attend as he is undergoing ayurveda treatment for post-Covid health issues.