VD Satheesan, the outgoing leader of the opposition in Kerala and one of the major contenders for the chief ministerial post if the Congress-led UDF comes to power, in an interview with HT, talks about alliance prospects, campaign strategy and more.
Edited excerpts:
How is the UDF campaign this time different from the previous ones in the 2016 and 2021 elections, in which you faced consecutive defeats?
In 2001, when we won 100 seats, we got a huge victory, but since 2005, many of our allies have gone away. In 2021, we started bringing them back and 90% of the efforts were successful. Today, the UDF is more than a federation of parties – it is a broad platform including influential people and opinion makers. That is why we performed strongly in the recent local body elections. We are now “Team UDF”. When we completed the distribution of seats among the colleagues, not a single whisper of disagreement or anger was heard. Today we are on the Nehruvian left and the LDF is on the extreme right. Many intellectual supporters have distanced themselves from CPI(M). They are openly saying that they do not want LDF to come back to power.
Kerala is extremely important for Congress’ plans in India. So is this election a do or die election for the party?
Certainly, Congress has to come to power in Kerala and it will. We are confident of returning to power with more than 100 seats. Since 2021, we have lost only one by-election, won four assembly by-elections, secured 18 out of 20 Lok Sabha seats and won local body elections. This momentum will continue. We are getting huge support across the state.
But during the candidate selection talks, factionalism seemed to flare up again with MPs like K Sudhakaran and Adoor Prakash openly laying claim to assembly seats. Your answer?
A. These are all fake news. After the election was announced, it took us only 48 hours to finalize our candidates. There are two or three TV news channels which run on narratives propagated by CPI(M) and run campaigns against us. The question of whether MPs should contest elections was left to the central leadership. TV channels kept showing fake news based on their whims. On the first day in Delhi, our screening committee chairman was unwell so we could not have a proper discussion. But within 48 hours, we came up with the complete candidate list. Some leaders got angry and filed nominations, but they have also withdrawn their nominations. Factionalism used to be the main attraction of Congress in Kerala, but this time no group lobbied for any ticket. We judged candidates solely on their winnability. Leaders like Sudhakaran and Prakash may have expressed their wishes, there is nothing wrong in that.
You were the first to claim a CPI(M)-BJP pact on at least 10 seats. This has now become a big political discussion topic. But is it dominating the main election issues like anti-incumbency, unemployment, price rise etc?
We highlighted the government’s failures through a statewide yatra and proposed options including five guarantees. We are running a door-to-door campaign on the basis that Kerala’s public health sector is on ventilators and there is a drain of talent. Higher education and agriculture sectors are in recession. Kerala’s public debt has reached zero ₹6 lakh crores. We are throwing light on the Sabarimala gold theft case. So those issues are being taken to the voters.
You are promising free travel for women in KSRTC buses, ₹Rs 1000 assistance, health insurance for college going girls ₹25 lakh per family. But are these promises practical and financially feasible given the state’s debt situation?
We have individual plans to make KSRTC, Electricity Department, Medical Services Corporation and Civil Supplies Corporation self-reliant. With that plan, we will not have to pay even a third of the assistance that the LDF government is currently providing to KSRTC. For the last one year, Kerala is at number 1 in inflation because the state government is not intervening in the market. Civil Supplies Corporation is deeply in debt. We will make it self-reliant by discussing with the supply chain management. how do they do it? They buy and store produce during the harvest season, and sell it at lower prices during the off-season. This expense is only for storage facilities. With the help of the cooperative sector, we will provide storage facilities for the Civil Supplies Corporation. During our tenure the electricity department was earning profits. Today he is in debt ₹50,000 crores. All our guarantees are enforceable. We appointed a health commission, the first time an opposition party in India did so. We organized a health conference with the help of doctors and prepared a document. We found that Kerala had the highest out-of-pocket expenditure in India at more than 70%. In the first phase, we have reduced it by 35% using the proposed health insurance scheme. This is what the Ashok Gehlot government has adopted in Rajasthan. It is possible.
In the field of education, we have realized that the courses offered in Kerala today are outdated. Students will not get jobs from such courses. We will introduce a global job watch-tower with experts. We will restructure the courses. We will provide technical-mentors and management-mentors to students to help them get better jobs. The objective is fourfold: better finance management, stopping leakages in the exchequer, planned tax administration and stimulating the economy. We will restructure the entire tax system to achieve higher GST inflows.
The Centre-State tussle over finances has been a recurring issue in Kerala. What is your plan to ensure that Kerala gets its due?
When the officials of the 16th Finance Commission came here, the state government gave a presentation and we, as the opposition, also gave a presentation. He appreciated our work as we were the only opposition party in India to make such a plan. We will strive to increase our state’s share in taxes in the divisible pool. It has increased from 1.9% to about 2.5%. We will address the delay in submission of audited accounts of centrally-sponsored schemes. We will ensure that there is no lapse on the part of the state.
In a state where women outnumber men in the population, the UDF has the lowest number of women candidates, only 12 out of 140. Why were women not given more tickets?
I agree, we have not been able to accommodate more women appropriately.
The CPI(M) Politburo has said that Congress’ Kerala leaders are forcing Rahul Gandhi to criticize the Kerala CM, especially on the status of corruption cases against him. Your answer?
Pinarayi Vijayan has been continuously criticizing Rahul for pleasing PM Modi. They have an unholy alliance. In all non-BJP states, central agencies lag behind the state governments. But there is no problem in Kerala. ED sent notice to CM’s son. Nothing happened. He filed a case against the CM’s daughter. Nothing happened. The case filed by the CBI on SNC-Lavalin, in which Pinarayi is an accused, is pending before the Supreme Court. It has been postponed 40 times because CBI lawyers are not appearing. It’s a clear deal. Pinarayi is criticizing Rahul for getting into the good books of BJP. How can he say that Rahul is the ‘B’ team of BJP? Rahul is the only person who is fighting against BJP without any compromise. He is being hunted inside and outside the Parliament. That is why Rahul gave a statement against CPI(M) regarding unholy alliance. The Politburo cannot rein in Pinarayi or the Kerala unit of the CPI(M). This is the party of Kerala today.
But BJP claims that Congress and CPI(M) are playing drama in Kerala as they are already allies at the national level.
Yes, we are in the National India Block. But everyone knows that in Kerala we have been fighting each other for years.
Is the current electoral contest in Kerala triangular or is it still an LDF-UDF fight?
In some places it is triangular, maybe 20% of the seats. In the rest, it is an LDF vs UDF contest.
When you say, CPI(M) has entered into an agreement with BJP on some seats, is there a possibility of some BJP MLAs getting elected?
CPI(M) is trying to help BJP. Palakkad is an example of this. This is the seat we won last time by 18,000 votes. CPI(M) has fielded a candidate to split the UDF vote and help the BJP. In Koni, the seat where BJP had got more than 30,000 votes last time, has been given to its ally this time. In Rani, where Sabarimala sentiments are prevalent, the seat has been given to BJP’s ally Twenty-20. It’s irrelevant there.
Your party has not announced the CM candidate against LDF and BJP. Is it any disadvantage?
CPI(M) is a party where Pinarayi decides everything. No one can question him. There is internal democracy in Congress. We have a galaxy of leaders here. AICC has a procedure which we followed in Karnataka and Telangana. After victory, MLAs will be consulted and a leader will be chosen. We are taking collective decisions here.
NSS and SNDP chiefs have criticized you saying that you are a poor leader of the opposition. Does this have no impact on the UDF or your chances of becoming CM?
He has not criticized Congress or UDF. He criticized me. I have taken a stand against communal rhetoric. If he speaks in a communal tone, I will oppose him. AICC will decide the post of CM, not the leaders of caste organizations.
On four seats, the UDF is supporting former CPI(M) leaders who are contesting as independents. Was this a right choice considering the disagreement among Congress workers?
These are senior (CPM) leaders who are fighting as rebels. Our situation is bad in Payyannur and Taliparamba. We are better in Ambalappuzha, but our workers and employees are working hard with these leaders. They are happy. There is a possibility of victory on those seats.
