The outgoing Leader of Opposition in Kerala and one of the key contenders for the chief minister’s post if the Congress-led UDF comes to power, VD Satheesan, in an interview with HT, speaks about the alliance’s prospects, campaign strategy and more. The outgoing Leader of Opposition in Kerala and one of the key contenders for the chief minister’s post if the Congress-led UDF comes to power, VD Satheesan, in an interview with HT, speaks about the alliance’s prospects, campaign strategy and more. (vdsatheesan/X)

Edited excerpts:

How is the UDF campaign this time different compared to the ones before the 2016 and 2021 elections in which you suffered consecutive losses?

We had a huge victory when we won 100 seats in 2001, but since 2005 several of our allies drifted away. In 2021, we began bringing them back, and 90% of that effort has succeeded. Today, UDF is more than a confederation of parties — it’s a broader platform including influencers and opinion-makers. That’s why we performed strongly in recent local body polls. We are now “team UDF.” When we completed seat-sharing among allies, not a whisper of disagreement or anger was heard. We are the Nehruvian Left today and the LDF is on the extreme Right. Many intellectual supporters have distanced themselves from CPI(M). They are openly saying they don’t want the LDF to come back to power.

Kerala is extremely crucial to the Congress’ scheme of things in India. So is this election a do-or-die election for the party?

Definitely, Congress has to come to power in Kerala and it will. We are confident of returning to power with over 100 seats. Since 2021, we have lost only one by-election, won four assembly bypolls, secured 18 of 20 Lok Sabha seats and swept the local body polls. This momentum will continue. We are getting huge support across the state.

But during candidate selection talks, factionalism seemed to flare again with MPs like K Sudhakaran and Adoor Prakash openly staking claim for assembly seats. Your response?

A. It’s all fake news. It took us only 48 hours of the election announcement to finalise our candidates. There are two or three TV news channels which run on narratives being fed by CPI(M) and conduct campaigns against us. The question of whether MPs should fight the polls was left to the central leadership. The TV channels kept flashing fake news based on their whims. On the first day in Delhi, our screening committee chairman was unwell so we couldn’t have proper discussions. But within 48 hours, we put out the entire candidate list. A few leaders filed nominations out of anger, but they have withdrawn also. Groupism used to be a highlight of the Congress in Kerala, but this time, no group lobbied for any ticket. We decided on candidates purely on winnability. Leaders like Sudhakaran and Prakash may have expressed their desires, nothing wrong with that.

You were the first to claim a CPI(M)-BJP deal in at least 10 seats. It has now become a big political talking-point. But is it overshadowing core election issues such as anti-incumbency, unemployment, price rise, etc?

We highlighted government failures through a statewide yatra and proposed alternatives, including five guarantees. We are conducting a door-to-door campaign on the premise that the Kerala public health sector is on ventilator and that there’s a brain drain of talent happening. Higher education and farming sector is in doldrums. Kerala’s public debt has touched ₹6 lakh crore. We are highlighting the Sabarimala gold theft case. So those issues are being taken up to voters.

You are promising free rides for women in KSRTC buses, ₹1000 assistance for college-going girls, health insurance of ₹25 lakh per family. But are these promises practical and financially viable, considering 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 won’t even have to pay one-third of the assistance that LDF government is currently providing KSRTC. For the last 1 year, Kerala is number 1 in price rise because the State government is not doing market interventions. The civil supplies corporation is in huge debt. We will make it self-reliant by holding discussions with the supply chain management. How do they do it? They procure products during crop season and store it, and sell it at lower price during off-season. The expense is only of storage facilities. With the help of cooperative sector, we will provide storage facilities for the civil supplies corporation. During our tenure, the electricity department was earning profits. Today, it is incurring debt of ₹50,000 crore. All our guarantees are viable. We appointed a health commission, the first time an opposition party in India did it. We conducted a health conclave with the help of doctors and prepared a document. We found that Kerala had the highest out-of-pocket expenditure in India at over 70%. In the first phase, we will bring it down to 35% using the health insurance scheme we have proposed. It is the same adopted by the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan. It is feasible.

In education, we have realised that today’s courses being offered in Kerala are outdated. Students will not get jobs with such courses. We will introduce a global job watch-tower with experts in it. We will restructure courses. We will provide techno-mentors and management-mentors to students to help them get better jobs. The aim is four-fold: better finance management, prevent leakages in exchequer, planned tax administration and stimulate the economy. We will restructure the entire tax system to get higher GST inflows.

The Centre-State tussle on finances has been a recurring issue in Kerala. How do you plan to ensure Kerala gets its due?

When the officials of the 16th finance commission came here, the State government made a presentation and so did we as opposition. They appreciated our work as we were the only opposition party in India to make such a plan. We will try to increase our state’s share of taxes in the divisible pool. It has risen from 1.9% to around 2.5%. We will resolve delays in submitting audited accounts of centrally-sponsored schemes. We will ensure that there are no lapses on the part of the state.

In a state where women outnumber men in population, the UDF has the lowest number of women candidates, just 12 out of 140. Why were women not given more tickets?

I agree, we have not been able to properly accommodate more women.

The CPI(M) Politburo has said that Kerala leaders of Congress are forcing Rahul Gandhi to criticise the Kerala CM, especially on the status of corruption cases against him. Your response?

Pinarayi Vijayan has been constantly criticising Rahul to appease PM Modi. They have an unholy nexus. In all non-BJP states, the central agencies are behind the State governments. But in Kerala, there is no issue. ED sent a notice to the CM’s son. Nothing happened. They filed a case against the CM’s daughter. Nothing happened. The case filed by CBI on SNC-Lavlin in which Pinarayi is accused is pending before the Supreme Court. It has been postponed 40 times because the CBI lawyer is not appearing. It’s a clear deal. Pinarayi is criticising Rahul to get into the good books of the BJP. How can he say Rahul is the ‘B’ team of BJP? Rahul is the only person fighting against BJP without compromise. He is being hunted inside and outside Parliament. That’s why Rahul made a statement against the CPI(M) about the unholy nexus. The Politburo cannot rein in Pinarayi or the Kerala unit of CPI(M). It is a Kerala party today.

But the BJP claims Congress and CPI(M) are playing a drama in Kerala as they are already allies at the national level.

Yes, we are in the national INDIA bloc. But everyone knows that in Kerala we have been fighting each other for years.

Is the current electoral contest in Kerala triangular in nature or is it still a LDF-UDF battle?

In some places, it is triangular, maybe 20% of the seats. In the rest, it’s a LDF versus UDF contest.

When you say, CPI(M) has a deal with BJP in some seats, are there chances of BJP getting a few MLAs elected?

CPI(M) is trying to help BJP. Palakkad is an example. It is a seat which we won by 18,000 votes last time. CPI(M) has fielded a candidate to split the UDF vote and help the BJP. In Konni, a seat the BJP got 30,000+ votes last time, has been given to its ally this time. In Ranni, where Sabarimala sentiments are present, the seat is given to BJP’s ally Twenty-20. It is irrelevant there.

Your party has not declared a CM candidate against LDF and BJP. Is it a disadvantage?

CPI(M) is a party where Pinarayi dictates everything. No one can question him. Congress has internal democracy. We have a galaxy of leaders here. The AICC has a procedure which we followed in Karnataka and Telangana. After the victory, the MLAs will be consulted and a leader will be chosen. We are taking collective decisions here.

The chiefs of NSS and SNDP have criticised you, saying you were a poor leader of the opposition. Does it not affect the UDF or your chances to become CM?

They have not criticised the Congress or UDF. They criticised me. I have taken a stand against communal rhetoric. If they speak in communal tones, I will oppose them. The CM post will be decided by the AICC, not by leaders of caste outfits.

In four seats, the UDF is supporting former CPI(M) leaders who are contesting as Independents. Was it a right choice considering there’s disagreement among Congress cadres?

These are senior (CPM) leaders who are fighting as rebels. We are in a bad position in Payyannur and Taliparamba. In Ambalappuzha, we are better, but our rank and file are working hard with these leaders. They are happy. There are possibilities of victory in those seats.