The Lok Sabha 2024 elections are afoot, and the fate of the nation is at stake as it goes through seven phases of polling, showcasing the largest democratic exercise ever. To get a broader perspective on the ground, we need to peruse the intricacies and viewpoints that exist among the electorate and their candidates.
Joining on an exclusive interview with NewsX on ‘The Hot Mic’ is Dr. Shashi Tharoor with the host Priya Sahgal, Editorial Director. Dr. Shashi Tharoor is a three-time sitting MP from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala since 2009. He has been a seasoned Indian diplomat and currently serves as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers. Previously, he held the position of Under-Secretary-General at the United Nations and ran for the post of Secretary-General for the UN in 2006. He is currently a member of the Congress Party.
In this interview, he helped us gain an in-depth view of the issues pervading the region and shared his insights on them.
Kicking off the interview, Priya Sahgal inquired about his insights on the ongoing elections, specifically whether he still believed that Congress and the alliance would win, a view he had previously expressed. He then elaborated on his perspective and said, “Very strongly so, in fact, everything that’s happened since then has confirmed what I said to you then. If anything, what we’re looking at right now what seems to be apparently a better result than we could have hoped for at that time.”
His rationale, he explained, was rooted in the observation that BJP had reached its peak in 2019 in several states where they held significant sway. However, he noted a shift, exemplified by the performance of the India Alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
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Continuing the interview, we delved into his perspective on the unfolding narrative. Initially, the focus rested on dissecting the Prime Minister’s speeches, which commenced with discussions on development and the Congress. However, it gradually shifted towards a narrative centered on Hindu-Muslim dynamics. The blame for this narrative shift was attributed to Congress, particularly regarding its stance on providing reservations to minorities. In response to our inquiry, he remarked, “We never raised that issue, that is simply not true and our manifesto does not mention reservation for minorities at all, it doesn’t mention the word Muslim, doesn’t mention the word reservations in that context, nor does it mention redistribution.”
He emphasized that the BJP attributed elements to their manifesto that were never included in it. He pointed out that there’s only one version of the manifesto, known as the Nyay Patra, which can be found through Google, and there’s nothing in it that aligns with what the BJP claims.
He spoke further on the narrative of the Congress party and said, “The Congress party focused on the well-being of the ordinary Indian. We did not attack the BJP on their narrative; we just said to people, ‘What about unemployment? What about a price rise? Can you afford in the market what you could afford two years ago? Has this government been good for you and your family?’ And people realized that they elect a government to look after their welfare.”
Moving towards the end it was inquired if the BJP has succeded in making Congress apologetic about the dynastic politics, on which he expressed his views and said, “I think this dynasty thing is overblown. First of all, most Indians tend not to object very much to this because most Indians in their own lives tend to follow their Parivar. I mean, my dentist, his children are dentists, my eye doctor, his children are eye doctors. I mean, honestly, it’s not funny, but this is simply our culture, it’s the way it is. And you know, Sachin Tendulkar’s son just played for Mumbai Indians. I mean, come on, it’s in our blood, that seems to be our culture. Number one, number two, and more importantly, the BJP party has plenty of Parivar cases.
He added further, “You’ve got the Anurag Thakur brother and so on and so forth. It doesn’t mean that they only have to be in politics. I mean, Amit Shah’s son is in cricket, but that’s very powerful these days in India. So you’ve got all of these things, the family is being well looked after by their own for quite some time, and I wouldn’t really say that this has a huge amount of traction. But having said that, we do have two members of the Gandhi family, Sonia ji and Rahul ji, who are active in politics. Priyanka is not exactly inactive; she’s been our most effective campaigner in the last few weeks. I’ve had the pleasure of her coming to campaign for me in Thiruvananthapuram.”
In conclusion, Dr. Shashi Tharoor’s insights shed light on the ongoing Lok Sabha 2024 elections, emphasizing the Congress Party’s focus on addressing key issues concerning the welfare of ordinary Indians. He debunked narratives surrounding dynasty politics. Through his perspective, he offered a nuanced understanding of the political landscape, advocating for a more substantial discourse.
As the elections draw to a close, the nation awaits the outcome with bated breath, anticipating the imminent verdict that will shape its destiny in the days ahead.