What are the main issues you are fighting this election on?
Kerala’s fiscal situation is the most precarious in the state’s history. The Govt is under huge debt, and our healthcare sector is on a ventilator. Brain drain will make us an old age home in five years.
Won’t the UDF’s five guarantees ruin Kerala’s finances further?
We studied the feasibility of guarantees with experts before announcing them. We have a concrete plan to get over the fiscal mess and stimulate the economy.
Was UDF not confident of winning without guarantees?
These are necessary ones; Our road transport corporation, for example, will need a bit of government support to offer free rides to women. We will have a health insurance programme like the one Ashok Gehlot introduced in Rajasthan as our people spend the highest on healthcare.
You are seen as a potential CM candidate.
Like in Karnataka and Telangana, the Congress has not projected anyone as CM. If we win, the AICC will follow the processes and choose the CM.
As leader of the Opposition, you successfully led the party in the recent panchayat polls..
The credit for the victory should go to every leader of the party. In the assembly elections also, we expect a big win. Someone asked me if I would go into political exile, if we don’t win. I said I will stop being in politics and go for political vanavasam (exile).
How many seats would you expect for the UDF and what does a win in Kerala mean for the Congress?
In my opinion, the UDF should be able to win 100 plus seats. When the Congress wins this election in Kerala, our party will emerge as the largest political force in South India. That will help our party in the next Lok Sabha elections.
There are concerns of infighting in the Congress…
Unlike earlier days, there are no more groups in the Congress. All of us are working as a team. In fact, it is the CPI(M) hit by infighting because of Pinarayi Vijayan’s dictatorship.
You talked about a private deal between the CPI(M) and BJP..
It is public knowledge that the BJP has aligned with the Left in 10-25 seats to prevent the Congress from coming to power. When we exposed this, the BJP and CPI(M) cadres have turned against their leaders and are protesting the secret deals.
But the CM calls you the BJP’s B team…
Pinarayi Vijayan hit a new low when he called Rahul Gandhi the BJP’s B team in Kerala. Rahul is one leader who has taken on the BJP, but our CM is talking poorly of him only to get into the BJP’s good books. The central agencies are active in non-BJP ruled states, but in Kerala, they are going slow against the CM.
The LDF government built a momentum on investments. Will there be continuity?
Investors are our guests. We will make our policies even more investor friendly. While in the Opposition too, we supported investments. But, we will bargain for a fair share in profits for workers by working for production-linked incentives for them. While in the Opposition, we did not support a single hartal, a first in Kerala’s history.
How will you arrest brain drain?
The nature of jobs is changing. We will offer management expertise, mentorship and interest-free loans for our technically sound youth to start up on their own.
If the UDF comes to power, will you review the LDF regime’s decisions?
We will not be vindictive, but we will investigate the government’s actions where necessary. We will review all backdoor appointments to government jobs and free up the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold pilferage case. Currently, the CPI(M) has not even initiated disciplinary action against its tainted leaders for fear that things would lead to top leaders.
