The verbal spat between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would prove counterproductive primarily for the Congress, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in an interview to The New Indian Express.
Responding to queries on anti-incumbency factor against the LDF government and the CM, Yechury felt that such issues would not, however, be reflected in Lok Sabha polls.
"In this Lok Sabha polls, the major factor is the anti-Modi feeling among voters and who is best suited to achieve the objective (of replacing him). That's where the understanding that a stronger Left is needed becomes important," the CPM leader said.
In the interview, Yechury also expressed the hope that INDIA bloc will be able to substantially reduce BJP seats in the Hindi belt. Excerpts:
The first phase of LS polls is over and the second phase is a couple of days away. What’s your assessment of the current political scenario?
The first two phases are in regions where NDA is not very strong, like Tamil Nadu and Kerala. But this is where they want to make inroads. I don’t think that has worked. They are not going to do well at all in these two phases. And there are a large number of seats in these two phases. Hence, from here, it’s going to be an uphill task for NDA.
How do you see the NDA strategy of looking south? Is it because NDA realised it has reached an optimum level in the Hindi belt?
BJP has understood they have peaked in the Hindi belt, where communal polarisation will work. In those areas, and in many other places, their seats are bound be reduced. They need to make up for that reduction from the south. That’s why the PM has been coming to the south so many times. I don’t think that will pay, as evident in the Karnataka elections where he had even gone to the extent of asking people to vote in the name of Jai Bajrang Bali, in brazen violation of the Code of Conduct.
Can you brush it aside that easily? In Kerala, PM Modi mentions Sabarimala, and directly targets CM Pinarayi.
They are desperate and want to make the communal angle work. They think in Kerala too there’s an element that’s communal. To appeal to that element, they are resorting to ancient terminologies, mythologies et al. Basically, they are trying their best to stoke things up here. But there’s also a vivid reality in Kerala, which is directly in opposition to such kind of communal polarisation. The current-day youth is a global citizen. Young Malayalis can be found all over the world. Such appeals won’t work with them.
For the past couple of days, there has been a political fight between Rahul Gandhi and CM Pinarayi. Now Priyanka too has joined in.
Most unfortunate. I don’t think it should have been pitched in this sort of a manner. It’s counterproductive, even for them (Congress). Don’t go by individuals, go by issues. What’s the charge? That Pinarayi is actually soft on Modi or compromising with Modi. It’s not a question of Pinarayi vs Modi per se. What does Modi represent? What are his policies? When he (Modi) came back in 2019, what are the major issues that occurred?
First is CAA, then Article 370, and later Electoral Bonds. In between all these, the communal polarisation that took place, including the Bilkis Bano issue. So, whether it’s CAA, Article 370, or electoral bonds or the Bilkis Bano case, who had assumed the leadership of the Opposition? As far as 370 is concerned, the first national leader to be arrested was me. I had to get Supreme Court permission to enter Srinagar. No other leader, including Congress ex-CMs, could enter. Where was the Congress when CAA agitations were held across the country? We were all arrested. Then the communal violence in northeast Delhi.
The Left played an important role in providing relief but the Congress was nowhere to be seen. On all these issues, you’ll find the Left in the forefront of agitations. How does it make sense to say the Left is soft on Modi or compromising with him in any manner?
You said it’s going to prove counterproductive for both. Pinarayi had said that Modi and Rahul speak the same language.
It’s counterproductive mainly for the Congress. They should be discussing policies of the LDF government. Criticise them by all means. But do not indulge in personal attacks. It’s always going to be counterproductive for those who raise it. In this case, it was more of a tit-for-tat. That’s why I termed it unfortunate. Once it begins, it ends up formulating its own trajectory.
Recently, TNIE carried a report about how the initial mention in the Congress manifesto of the repeal of CAA was later dropped, after review by senior Congress leaders.
That’s the problem. When top leaders take such decisions, things get diluted. What’s the problem in mentioning that it will be reviewed?
Modi referred to the Rahul-Pinarayi spat to highlight the lack of unity in INDIA bloc.
That’s a farcical statement by Modi who views everything dramatically. Modi knows fully well that it’s this contest between LDF and UDF that keeps BJP totally out of the picture. That’s his biggest problem. The more intense the fight, the less the chance for Modi to make his entry into Kerala.
What about his claim of 400 seats?
That’s completely out of line. Retaining what they had last time itself would be a big deal. These are mind-games they like to play. But when their own leaders started boasting of how winning 400 seats would mean changing the Constitution, it started becoming counterproductive. Both in Jharkhand and Delhi, the arrests of (Arvind) Kejriwal and (Hemant) Soren have created a sympathy factor. The freezing of the bank accounts of the Congress too is condemnable.
You have completed your campaigning in Kerala. How do you think LDF will fare this time around?
It’ll be much better than last time. The actual day-to-day issues of people’s livelihood have become very important. The relief being provided by the LDF government is the mainstay for the survival of the people here, compared to the rest of India where the situation is miserable for vast sections of people who are at the receiving end of unemployment, relentless food inflation, wage stagnation, decline in household savings, coupled with household borrowings reaching a historic high. It is a crucial element that lingers in the subconsciousness of the common man.
Won’t the strong anti-incumbency factor against the state government be reflected in the election?
Not in the Parliament elections. The Kerala electorate has always been very mature and political. They always distinguish between the two. Even as they handed 19 out of 20 seats to UDF in the last LS polls, they re-elected the Pinarayi government. With an unprecedented second term in Kerala, there’s bound to be anti-incumbency. That we’ll have to see when assembly elections are due.
Why should people vote for LDF, and not UDF?
To check the vacillations of Congress and to ensure pro-people policies are implemented. In LDF, nobody will defect to BJP. In UDF, we don’t know. Today, the BJP in Delhi is known as the new Congress party.
There are two major factors that could influence voters in Kerala — an anti-Modi factor among a section and an equally strong anti-Pinarayi factor. Do you think the Left needs to indulge in some introspection?
Of course, we’ll need to introspect, if what you are saying is true. But in this LS poll, the major factor is the anti-Modi feeling and who’s best suited to achieve that objective. That’s where the understanding that a stronger Left is needed, becomes important. The people of Kerala understood this in 2004 (when the Left got 18 seats). Everybody knew the alternate government would be Congress-led. At the same time, the Left should be given enough strength so we can influence policies and stop the vacillations of Congress against communal forces.
There’s a general criticism the Left has been focusing its campaign on CAA. Isn’t this some kind of an appeasement politics to woo the minorities?
Our campaigning is not just about CAA. Wherever I speak, I speak of 370, Bilkis Bano, electoral bonds, too. There’s no question of any appeasement. Neither the party nor Kerala society has ever accepted any kind of appeasement. That’s the uniqueness of Kerala society.
The PM has been targeting the Left which is now reeling under a slew of ED investigations.
It’s a deliberate agenda. They hope to find some evidence but fail to do so. There’s frustration. If there was any evidence, they wouldn’t have spared us at all.
Will the ED investigation against CM’s daughter have some impact on the polls?
I doubt it. Because the ED has no business in that case. They amended PMLA in such a way the ED can barge into your house on mere suspicion. The credibility of ED is gone. Now it’s purely a weaponised tool in the hands of the BJP government.
CPM has always favoured post-poll alliances. But for the first time, you have entered into a pre-poll alliance.
There’s some misunderstanding. Pre-poll alliances are for seat-sharing and electoral adjustments. We never go for pre-poll alliances to form a government. Post elections, depending on the scenario, post-poll alliances will begin for government formation. As of now, INDIA bloc is an electoral adjustment at the state level.
Let’s say INDIA bloc gets majority, who’ll lead the alliance? Congress?
That will be decided then. First elect your MP. Depending on whose MPs are more, the PM will be elected. I’m not ruling out anyone. It was a similar situation in 2004 too. We knew fully well it would be a Congress-led alliance. A stable alternative is sure to arise.
Will the CPM be part of such a post-poll alliance?
We’ll decide if such a possibility arises. As per the Party Congress decision, when such possibilities arise, the Central Committee will discuss and decide.
What are the prospects of INDIA bloc at the national level?
It depends on state-level results. I think this time it’s going to be very positive. It’s not going to be an easy run for BJP and Modi. In all north Indian states, INDIA bloc will perform well in the sense that it will reduce BJP seats. Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi... they will perform well. In UP, BJP seats are likely to reduce.
CPI has been harping on and on about how Rahul shouldn’t have contested against Annie Raja.
This was conveyed to Rahul Gandhi in 2019. The joint effort is to fight BJP. What’s the point in coming here to fight the Left? Maybe he was unsure of Amethi and, therefore, thought this was a safe seat. There are safe seats in Tamil Nadu and other places too. Why do you want to confront the Left? Instead, you should take on the BJP. But it’s their decision.