Thrissur: Responsible citizens will assess and analyse the performance of their local sitting MP before casting ballot, Left Democratic Front’s Wayanad candidate Annie Raja has said.
The Congress should also think about its gains fighting against the Left parties given that the country is “facing fascist forces who have encroached on all the pillars of Indian democracy”, she said in an interview Wednesday with ThePrint, a day after the Communist Party of India (CPI) announced her candidature from Wayanad parliamentary constituency.
Rahul Gandhi is the MP from Wayanad in Kerala, where the LDF and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) are rivals in state politics since the 1980s. At the same time, the Congress and the Left parties are part of the INDIA bloc.
“Those who are elected are the people’s representatives. It means that the representative should be with people in all situations. And it’s not the charity of the representative, but the rights of the people of the constituency. Whether they voted in favour or against, once after getting elected, it’s the entire constituency’s right to have a representative. So people will analyse and assess and they will vote accordingly. Responsible citizens will do that and our voters are very responsible,” Raja said.
The CPI, an ally of the CPI(M)-led LDF, was allocated four out of the 20 parliamentary seats in Kerala. Apart from Raja, the other three candidates are senior leader Pannyan Raveendran (Thiruvananthapuram), former agricultural minister Sunil Kumar (Thrissur), and CA Arun Kumar (Mavelikkara).
In 2019, the UDF won 19 seats, including Wayanad, in Kerala, taking advantage of the anti-incumbency wave following the Sabaramila protests. Gandhi defeated CPI’s P.P. Suneer by a margin of 4 lakh-plus votes. The Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the upcoming polls.
“The Left parties have a position that India is facing fascist danger and all the pillars of Indian democracy are encroached upon by the fascist forces and that we are on the verge of collapse. At this point, we need to bring together the democratic and secular forces together to save this country. That is the Left’s position — and I am sure that the Congress is also saying that. So when the Congress or its national leaders are contesting against the Left parties, what are they going to gain?” Raja said.
Rahul Gandhi should realise the importance of this election, she said, while referring to fellow Left colleague and senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat’s statement that Gandhi should reconsider contesting from Wayanad.
She added that the Congress is an independent party and that it’s their prerogative to decide the candidates and seats but the larger question should be kept in mind.
The CPI leader asserted that the INDIA bloc aims to bring all the democratic and secular forces together but the alliances will be created based on the local situation in each state. She added that the political parties were clear about maintaining the electoral combination of Kerala, which has been LDF versus UDF for a long time.
“Kerala has an entirely different, well-settled; one can say that almost very well-settled, two combinations: LDF and UDF. Even at the formative stage of the INDIA bloc and subsequent meetings, we have made it clear to all the parties. That in Kerala, this is the combination and that will continue.”
‘Not new to Wayanad’
Talking about her familiarity with Wayanad, Raja said she has been to every panchayat there as part of party activities. The National Federation of Indian Women general secretary added that she first held the red flag in third standard and continues to do so.
“When I was young and a student, I was in the AISF (All India Students’ Federation). And then when I was still a student, the party asked me to take the responsibility of Kerala Mahila Sangham’s Kannur district secretary. So I started that, though I was not at all aware of the gender question, gender equality, and feminism. But the party asked me to take up that responsibility, and as a disciplined party cadre, I took that responsibility.”
Raja added as the Sangham secretary, she was given the responsibility of four northern districts including Wayanad and met people in each village, especially women.
“I was very frequently going to Wayanad…even for the student federation’s programme or Mahila Sangham’s programmes. I have visited every mandal or every panchayat in Wayanad and the only difference is that at that time, I was Annie Thomas and now I am Annie Raja. Nothing new for me other than that. I was very much there, going to the villages and meeting people, particularly women. If it’s students meeting, it’s students and their parents.”
From her home in Aralam panchayat, she said, Wayanad is hardly an hour away.
“Like, Kannur Wayanad also helped me learn the basics of politics.” she said.
“I am in the communist party and I am one of the members of the national executive. I am the general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women. I have an identity of my own,” she said, adding that the party had given her a lot of responsibility in the past and that Wayanad is a different responsibility.
‘Do-or-die situation’
Raja said her campaign would focus more on the national issues as the country is facing a ‘do-or-die- situation due to the ‘extent of encroachment’ that fascists forces have into the socio-political and economical lives of the people. She said the RSS-BJP and the corporate combined is a ‘double-edged sword’.
“When we say that we will defeat the forces, that will also mean saving the Constitution and its values and right to live with dignity. If that is to be saved, you will have to find a solution to the unemployment problem, provide education. You will have to have a decent life and equality irrespective of caste, gender, everything,” the CPI leader said, adding that she would also raise the local issues of Wayanad during her poll campaign.
She also touched upon the dwindling electoral gains of the communist parties, saying the party was actively involved in taking up people’s issues in almost all states.
“We are carrying out huge demonstrations and struggles. We are also puzzled by that (low electoral gains) and, at times, wonder given that people join us in the struggles,” she said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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