In an interview to The Wire, Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who is among the 146 MPs suspended this month, told Arfa Khanum Sherwani that it is not just about joint rallies; rather, the overarching issues of the campaign for the alliance will be common, reaching the voters in one voice.
“Communal harmony, inflation, and unemployment. We will go to the people and tell them Modi has not done anything for you in the last 10 years. We are a better alternative than him and if elected, we will change your lives,” he said.
With regard to INDIA bloc’s Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) resolution, Khanum Sherwani asked him how it was possible that the Congress got more votes than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in last assembly elections, yet the ‘EVMs-are-rigged’ theory is being pushed from your side. He said he believes coalition should have hard evidence before making big claims but he underscored that voters should be handed over VVPAT slips.
Why did the Congress lose three states? Although the BJP has more resources, Tharoor said he is impressed with the BJP’s campaign, especially their door-to-door efforts, and last-mile connectivity. The Youth Congress and party organisations should draw inspiration from them.
