It’s election time again! The Thiruvananthapuram constituency has become the cynosure of all due to three high-profile candidates contesting for this prestigious seat. Shashi Tharoor – a three-time winner from T’puram and an erudite speaker on national and international for a – represents the Congress Party. Pannyan Raveendran is a tall leader of the Left and is much respected across party lines as an ‘intellectual’. The new ‘chip’ in the block is Rajeev Chandrashekhar, who is Modi’s IT minister, a technocrat, a proven businessman, and a no-nonsense kind of personality. The destiny of them will be decided on 26 April 2024 by the smart voters of T’puram.
Going by the 2014 and 2019 election records, I am compelled to take Pannyan Raveendran out of the equation. Simply because the Left has ceded some space to the brand of Shashi Tharoor (not to the Congress Party) in the previous three elections. However, to the credit of the Left, they seem to have retained its core voters on in the past three occasions. So the fight has literally boiled down to between Shashi Tharoor and Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
The brass-tacks
All three parties enjoy a certain percentage of core voters. A rough estimate of core voters puts the figures like this: about 30% for Congress; about 25% for the BJP; and about 20% for the Left. That leaves about another 25% voters who are neutral to a large extent.
Therefore, influencing this 25% of non-core voter segment becomes critical for any party. Their preference on the voting day can be based on the ‘quality’ of the candidate, promises made, performance in the past, etc. One unique thing about this segment is that they are more inclined to listen to the arguments of all parties/candidates and they will not waste their time in arguing for one candidate over the other with anyone. One downside of this segment is that some of them may not step out of their comfy homes to vote too. A miniscule number may opt for NOTA too, which is a democratic right granted to India’s electorate, so can’t complain.
As it’s clear that this 25% non-core voters will decide the fate of Shashi Tharoor and Rajeev Chandrashekhar, wooing them by hook or crook or through legitimate means will remain high on the agenda of both Congress and BJP. Here are some pointers for the consideration of this segment of voters, which could help them decide their choice in favour of Rajeev Chandrashekhar.
1. Secularism: Secularism is a major plank that has worked for Shashi Tharoor and the Congress Party in the past. However, it will be tough for Shashi Tharoor to use this card again this time. While Shashi Tharoor as an individual may be ‘secular’, the party that he represents follows a unique form of secularism that borders on appeasement of some sections of the society. And Shashi Tharoor has defended such ‘appeasement’ to a certain extent too. On a few occasions, he and the Congress party are seen on the opposite sides also. His declared stand that Hamas is a terrorist organization in a rally organized in support of Hamas in Kerala has not gone down well with either his own party or its ally, the Muslim League. It has clearly created a trust deficit between him and his party and the alliance partner.
Now let’s see what goes in favour of Rajeev Chandrashekhar on the plank of secularism. Take the schemes or decisions of the Modi government in the past 10 years. None of them have favoured any particular community whatsoever, and they have strictly adhered to the slogan ‘Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas’. Being a businessman at heart and a cabinet minister in the Modi government, Rajeev Chandrashekhar has followed those principles that guide the governance model of the Modi government.
Any decision or decisions that seemed to have tilted the scale in favour of the majority community have come from the courts, including the Supreme Court, based on the merits of those cases. Attributing such decisions of the courts to the ‘communal’ nature of the Modi government can be dismissed at face value and will be seen only as ‘vote-bank’ politics of the Congress Party.
As a matter of fact, the BJP scores higher than the Congress Party with regard to the delivery and upholding the secularist principles on the ground.
2. Socialism: Socialism or welfarism is another major plank that has guided this nation from the days of Jawaharlal Nehru. However, the socialism practised by the Congress Party of today is about doling out freebies to the poor and keeping them happy for the short term. Check out the latest manifesto of the Congress Party on ‘freebies’ if you need clarification on this point. People still carry an element of doubt when the Congress Party ‘promises’ something to the electorate.
BJP also indulges in socialism. But there is a stark difference. The socialism practised by BJP is designed to ‘empower’ the poor, which will gradually lift them out of the poor category. The support provided to them will help them to be on their own eventually.
Providing access to electricity, clean energy for cooking, and piped drinking water has literally freed the poor from the drudgery and disadvantages associated with all three areas. Opening bank accounts for crores of poor people, giving them access to bank loans (especially to the women), providing housing to about 4 crore poor people, building toilets for the poor, etc. have made their lives only better.
Come to think of it, more people from the minority communities have benefitted from these schemes of the Modi government than what the Congress governments have done in the past! To stamp it, international development agencies say 25 crore people have been lifted out of multi-dimensional poverty in the past decade! And Rajeev Chandrashekhar represents this philosophy of governance and socialism.
3. Modi Government 3.0: Voices from the ground and various media surveys clearly indicate the return of Modi to power at the centre in 2024. Spooked by the ‘Is baar 400 paar’ slogan of the BJP, the Congress Party seems to be fighting this election not win it, but to retain its 20% vote share in the country so that they can stay relevant in national politics. Their objective of fighting has also got reduced to just denying the BJP 400+ seats! Some would even claim a ‘moral victory’ on this on 4 June 2024!
So where does that leave Shashi Tharoor in the Parliament if he wins? In the opposition benches with no power or wherewithal to do any sort of developmental activity for T’puram. The past 10 years of Shashi Tharoor’s work in the constituency may prove the perils of sitting in the opposition benches.
On the contrary, the people of T’puram can be assured of a cabinet minister representing them in the Parliament, if Rajeev Chandrashekhar is elected! Winning in a new, difficult territory means the Modi government and Rajeev Chandrashekhar would go the extra mile through developmental efforts to win the hearts and minds of the people of not only T’puram, but the whole of Kerala. The ‘Look South’ policy will gain further momentum for the next five years for sure.
See the results of the ‘Look East’ policy adopted by the Modi government in 2014! The northeastern states and Odisha have seen huge transformation in the past 10 years. Bengal lagged behind in development because of various state-specific reasons.
So, with Modi more or less certain to come back to power, it would actually make sense to choose Rajeev Chandrashekhar for the good of T’Puram.
4. Spending money vs Generating money: This point is more about the individuals, Shashi Tharoor and Rajeev Chandrashekhar, especially their work experience. We all agree that money (investment) is needed for development. Only if you have money, you can spend it, right?
Generating money is not everybody’s cup of tea. Rajeev Chandrashekhar’s work in the past tells us that he knows a thing or two about generating wealth for the nation and for himself and his family. It’s a dream of almost every start-up entrepreneur to develop a company and exit it with tons of money in his/her bank. Rajeev Chandrashekhar is someone who has ‘been there, done that’ kind of person. He would surely know how to bring in investments for development. There is no doubting on that account.
In contrast, Shashi Tharoor’s long tenure at the United Nations was largely about seeking donations from nations and spending them elsewhere. A noble act, indeed. But how does that experience or that skill-set help T’puram and its people! The past 10 years of Shashi Tharoor was that of a ‘helpless’ MP, even though his intentions were to ‘help’ T’Puram grow!
Therefore, bringing private investments and government funding for the development of T’puram will not be just a ‘Modi Guarantee’ but a ‘Rajeev Guarantee’ also. So the people of T’puram cannot ignore this ‘double guarantee’ at any cost.
If the four points discussed above serve as some food, then follow the ‘right’ thoughts emerging from it and choose Rajeev Chandrashekhar for the good of T’puram.
Make no mistake, like many of you, I too like and respect Shashi Tharoor for his personality traits and his stand on various issues. But pragmatically, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, if he wins, will be in a better position to deliver more for T’puram than what Shashi Tharoor could do.
If your vote is for the development of T’puram, then Rajeev Chandrashekhar is a better choice this time.
Happy voting!
(The Author is Development Journalist and Political Observer )
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