Ramesh Chennithala has worn many hats and has been at the forefront of Congress politics in Kerala for the last two decades. The circumstances and the manner of the 2021 assembly election debacle have compelled him to make way for new leadership in the party. It’s not an easy task for a politician of his stature. Does he see a future for himself in the party as his one-time lieutenants have taken over its reins? Chennithala opens up in an interaction with TNIE. Excerpts:
You had made many constructive suggestions for the revival of the Congress at the Chintan Shivir held in Jaipur. How have they been received?
The party has taken my suggestions seriously and I hope they will be incorporated into the final document. One of the major suggestions was to launch Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, a padayatra from Kanyakumari to Srinagar, which has been accepted. The yatra will commence on October 2.
What, according to you, is ailing Congress nationally? Is it the weak leadership or organisational issues?
See, there is a concerted attempt to weaken the Congress party. Since Narendra Modi came to power, the BJP is aiming to achieve Congress-mukth Bharat. They are intimidating Congress leaders using central agencies. Modi and BJP know that Congress is capable of uniting secular parties.
But aren't the Congress leaders too responsible for this plight? They are the ones who make it easier for the BJP…
I admit that… That is why I say Congress should re-invent and re-orient itself. I accept that Congress has its shortcomings too but it has to revitalise itself to overcome all these.
How will Congress achieve this?
We should rebuild Congress from the grassroots level. I tell Rahul Gandhi, whenever I meet him, that there is no other way to strengthen the party. We have to groom new leaders. I have told Rahul Gandhi should take over the party reins for the Congress to revive.
Why this over-dependency on the Gandhi family?
Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are the only leaders who can unify the party. As Soniaji is not well, Rahul Gandhi should take up that responsibility. He is a very idealistic person. He is not corrupt and does not tolerate corruption. Unfortunately, his image has been tarnished systematically by the RSS and BJP. That’s why I suggested he should go to the people. Who else is there in Indian politics capable of standing up to Modi?
All agree that Rahul Gandhi is a good human being. But not many are convinced about his political skills…
He is a very courageous person, very brilliant, and down to earth. We should clear the doubts in the minds of the people. For that, he has to take up the party president’s post. Then everything will fall into place. When he was president he was totally committed and sincere.
In Congress, the career of a leader is determined by his or her proximity to the Gandhi family. How close are you to Rahul Gandhi?
I am very close. He listens to me.
Coming to Kerala, the last two decades of Congress politics has been revolving around you and Oommen Chandy. Has that era come to an end?
See, nobody is permanent in politics. We have to accept changes. When I took over as the PCC president, 17 years ago, I was only 48 and the Congress was in total disarray. K Karunakaranji had left the party. People thought that it was the end of Congress in Kerala. I was a member of the Congress Working Committee and Sonia Gandhi asked me to take over as KPCC president and rebuild the party. Without any reluctance, I shouldered the responsibility and worked for nine years. We won the Lok Sabha polls, assembly election, and all 10 bypolls during my tenure.
How did the party lose the 2021 assembly election?
The loss was quite unexpected. The welfare programmes of the LDF government during the pandemic helped them. Secondly, there was a decline in BJP’s vote share in 69 constituencies. There, the BJP votes were shifted to the CPM as part of a game plan to defeat Congress.
You were held responsible for the debacle and removed from the post of Leader of Opposition...
I accepted the decision taken by my party because as the opposition leader, it was my fault too. But I was not the only person responsible for the defeat. It was the political circumstances that caused the defeat. And also, there were other leaders leading the campaign. But I have taken the party decision in a good spirit. In fact, I am working more now than ever before.
You are only 65. But, Congress has new leadership under V D Satheesan and K Sudhakaran. Do you see a future for yourself in the party?
I am not bothered about positions. I will continue to be a true Congressman. The party leadership knows what I am doing. I am a school teacher's son. I become an MLA at the age of 26, and a minister when I was 28. I was elected MLA five times. I was a Lok Sabha member for four terms. Then I was PCC president for nine years and was a CWC member. What else do I want? Whatever I became is because of my party. I am satisfied.
Does that mean you are in asanyasi mood now?
No. Right now I am focusing on rebuilding the party and I am working very hard for that.
Is there any chance of you becoming the CM if Congress comes to power next time?
There are four years left. Let's wait and see.
Now you are not much active in the assembly. Why?
Now there is an opposition leader and he takes up issues in the assembly. But I am very active outside. I travel more. People share their issues with me and I try to address them. I am happy with that.
Many people who used to ridicule you when you were the opposition leader have now started saying that you were a better opposition leader. How do you look at this?
I am happy to hear this. The issues which I raised were valid. They all have been proven correct. I am happy that people have started realising it.
But you didn’t get adequate support from the party for the issues you raised?
It was not that the party didn’t support me. The circumstances were not favourable. There was a lockdown in place and there were restrictions on public gatherings. We couldn’t hold protests. It is true that the party couldn’t take it forward to the expected level. But I don’t blame anyone. It was due to the circumstances.
Does the new leadership seek your opinion?
I share my opinion whenever they ask for it. I have been cooperating with them in all possible ways. I am not creating any trouble for them.
The new leadership has been following an aggressive brand of politics, almost like imitating the CPM. Do you think converting Congress into a semi-cadre party will help?
Let’s wait and see. I believe Congress is Congress and CPM is CPM.
V D Satheesan now says the days of groupism are over in Congress. Do you think so?
Groups have been there in Congress for the past 45 years. Oommen Chandy and I have only inherited them. Even Satheesan and Sudhakaran were part of my group. These people were my lieutenants in the group. In fact, many of them used to complain that I was not aggressive in group politics. But I had to run the party and lead the opposition. What is the meaning of claiming that I have no group after earning a position?
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal was also your former lieutenant.
Yeah, we all were together. I am happy I have groomed so many leaders.
They all ditched you after the election loss. How do you look at that?
I only brought up all these leaders. I am only happy that all of them have become big leaders now.
Do you have any plans to shift to Delhi?
I am presently in Kerala politics and I am happy here. I didn’t make any demands and nobody offered me anything. I belong to Kerala and I prefer to work here.
Twenty20 and AAP may pose a challenge to the Congress in Kerala. What is the party plan to tackle this new threat?
AAP is banking on welfare politics. But, Kerala is way ahead of other states on the welfare front. Almost all welfare measures have been implemented in Kerala. Also, AAP is the ‘B’ team of BJP. Kejriwal’s ideas will not appeal to Kerala voters.
But you cannot brush AAP aside. It finished Congress in Delhi.
I agree. UDF and Congress will have to work hard and live up to the expectations of the people. We should change ourselves. We should have better programmes and catch the imagination of the youngsters.
There has been a consistent campaign alleging that you are pro-BJP. Why are you not able to disprove this?
This labelling has been there ever since I contested my first election in 1982. This is the handiwork of the CPM as they are scared of me. Can you say that all those who visit temples belong to the RSS? I am a practising Hindu who visits temples. I am god-fearing. I am not a Hindu of the Narendra Modi clan. I am a Hindu of Gandhiji’s clan. Gandhiji’s Hindu embraces all religions and faiths. I believe in god, I wear ‘chandanam’ on my forehead. That doesn’t make me a BJP man.
BJP grows by wooing senior leaders from other parties. Has the BJP approached you?
Nobody has approached me and they know well that they will not be able to lure me.
Do you think the demand made by the NSS general secretary to provide a “key post’’ to you has worked against you?
It is not my fault that I was born in the Nair community. Not all NSS members are BJP men. A sizeable section of the Nair community supports Congress.
V D Satheesan has cultivated a rebellious image that he will not seek the support of any community leaders…
Everyone has his own style. There is nothing wrong with meeting community leaders. But that does not mean that we will do whatever they say. These are social realities and we cannot ignore them.
The standard of discourse in Kerala politics has hit a low. How do you view this?
I feel Kerala politics is not passing through a decent phase. This is not a good trend. It is not the kind of politics that Kerala should follow. We are not discussing the real issues that affect the common man. This is my personal opinion.
Do you think that the in-flight sloganeering against the CM is the kind of political agitation that Congress should take up?
The Congress workers did not create any fracas, I’m told. But I am of the opinion that we should maintain the standard of politics that is expected from Congress.
You were considered one of the most efficient home ministers Kerala has seen. How do you rate Pinarayi Vijayan as a home minister?
He is a total failure. He doesn’t know what is happening and is not willing to hear advice. I was home minister for two-and-a-half years. There were no such issues during my tenure. He is not accessible and he is unable to control the police. He is the kingpin in the gold smuggling case. He is diverting attention to cover up his mistakes.
How can we say that the CM is the kingpin in the gold smuggling case?
His office was involved. Will I allow my private secretary to get involved in such dubious operations? Data theft involving Sprinklr is a real fact. No CM in Kerala history has got involved in such a murky deal. Sprinklr was monitoring all his press conferences from the US and intervening to make course corrections. They were behind the LDF election strategy.
Congress leaders have been chest-thumping over the victory in the Thrikkakara assembly bypoll. Is this hype justified?
There is no need to go overboard. It was one of the sure seats. Hibi Eden had secured a lead of 30,000 votes there in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. But, it is a fact that Congress needed an emphatic victory in Thrikkakara. So, we worked with a single mind. Definitely, it has boosted our morale. But, we should not be complacent.
You were groomed by ‘Leader’K Karunakaran and were often termed as his maanasa puthran. Do you regret the decision to revolt against him?
Yes. I repent. I should have never done that. It was the political circumstances at that time that forced me, G Karthikeyan and M I Shanavas to revolt. He was such a genuine leader and there is no leader of his stature in Kerala or India now. Karthikeyan and Shanavas are no more. Following in Leader’s footsteps, I have started offering prayers at the Guruvayur temple on the first day of every Malayalam month. I repent what I did, sincerely.