BJP’s only agenda is polarisation: Venugopal
he exodus of leaders from the Congress will not aect its fortunes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, MP, has said.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Venugopal said “opportunist leaders may go but grassroots workers who believe in the Congress ideology will remain with the party.”
Citing the examples of the Congress comeback in Telangana, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, he said the party would stay a oat and win elections. “Though we lost the Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, it should be noted that the Congress has a vote share between 42% and 45% in these States,” he said.
The senior Congress leader said the BJP had been able to create a perception that it was returning to power, thanks to the support of the media. “A section of the media is providing wide coverage to the Prime Minister [Naredera Modi] and the BJP. Whatever the Prime Minister says gets coverage. At the same time, Opposition voices are suppressed. The same type of campaign, India Shining, was launched during the 2004 elections when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. Everyone knows what happened after the elections."
“Now, some sponsored surveys are also coming in support of the BJP’s claims. We believe in the people and not the surveys. The people and nation’s mood is in favour of the Congress and the INDIA bloc. We are con§dent of victory in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said, adding that the perception created by the Prime Minister and the BJP was gradually waning. Mr. Venugopal said the people were receptive to the poll issues being raised by the Congress. “The Prime Minister is trying to divert the people’s attention from the issues that matter. Their only agenda is polarisation. The people have started to realise that the BJP and the Union government are employing these tactics to distract the public from real problems,” he said.
TOn the Congress and Left parties contesting against each other in Kerala despite being allies at the national level, the AICC general secretary said it was tough for the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to join hands in the State. “If the Left Democratic Front was sincere in building an atmosphere in Kerala, like in other States, at least they should have supported Rahul Gandhi by not §elding a candidate against him in Wayanad. The Left parties are using his photographs in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tripura and everywhere. But they are criticising him in Kerala,” he said.
On the controversy surrounding the screening of the movie The Kerala Story by the Idukki diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, Mr. Venugopal said that he did not believe it was the common stance of the Church.
On the electoral prospects of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, Mr. Venugopal said: “It is going to be a sweep for the UDF. We will win all the 20 seats. The BJP will not open its account in the State,” he added.
Full interview: https://newsth.live/Venugopal