The candidature of a Gandhi family loyalist from Amethi has led to the BJP asserting that the Congress has conceded defeat. In an interview to businessline, Rajya Sabha MP and Congress’s media in-charge Jairam Ramesh explains why Priyanka Gandhi did not contest elections, how the media has willingly become a part of the BJP’s publicity campaign and hopes that the EC would revert to the practice of releasing poll data and the absolute voter numbers in time. Excerpts:
Why hasn’t Priyanka Gandhi contested?
If both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi had contested, they would have been confined to their seats. Priyanka is an energetic, enthusiastic and very aggressive campaigner. The Congress President is campaigning and Rahul is campaigning. But she is unique. Her manner of speaking, the language she uses, the issues that she raises give her a distinctive identity. She is a superstar campaigner. But if she had contested, this would have been her first election. She would have had to give more time in the constituency. Having said that, I believe she is made for electoral politics. She is 52 years old and by Indian political standards, she is young. I think in this election, her services were needed as a campaigner. She is able to counter Mr Narendra Modi in a way no one is able to. He attacked us on inheritance tax and made up a complete lie about how Rajiv Gandhi did away with inheritance tax to benefit from inherited property. What she said was right, the only thing Rajiv Gandhi inherited was martyrdom. Whether it is that or mangalsutra, she is able to strike a chord. We need her as a campaigner.
But to practically gift away Amethi to Smriti Irani is quite astounding.
The media makes up its own headlines. Kirshori Lal Sharma has been in Amethi and Rae Bareli for 40 years. He is a party worker and manager. He first went to Amethi in 1982. His ground level knowledge of both constituencies is unmatched. He has managed the two constituencies for Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He is a very grounded person.
Smriti Irani has said that the Congress has conceded defeat.
Smriti Irani makes a living in the BJP by abusing Rahul Gandhi.
Were you surprised that the Election Commission had delayed releasing poll data?
To not release poll data after 11 days of the first phase and four days of the second phase is unprecedented and unacceptable. Also, the EC has stopped publishing data which enables comparison. It used to be the practice that the number of registered voters in each assembly constituency that forms part of a parliamentary constituency would be published. The absolute numbers were given. This has been discontinued. We raised this issue and within a few hours, the EC put out an 11-page note. But they did not explain the delay. The second question they have not answered is why they are not releasing the absolute number of voters. We hope that political games are not being played. I fail to understand why the release of the poll data was delayed for 11 days and four days in this day and age of technology. A delay of one or two days is understandable but 11 days? I hope this does not get repeated in the coming phases. I certainly hope from phase 3 onwards, the EC would revert to the system of publishing the registered voter data. We are asking for registered voter number and how many of them voted. If we don’t have absolute numbers, how do we compare. You’re talking of one-nation-one-election and you can’t publish basic data about how many people voted even after 11 days! It makes a mockery of the whole process. I know that there are many conspiracy theories are doing the rounds but we would like to get on with the election and urge the EC to publish absolute numbers.
Prime Minister has raised several issues about the Congress manifesto. How would you react?
The entire campaign of the Prime Minister has been on Hindu-Muslim divide and how the Congress will take your mangalsutras, your cows, your buffaloes. He is spreading communal poison and ascribing to the Congress policies that find no place in its manifesto. It is a pandemic of lies. Our campaign is not to counter him but to put forward our five ‘nyays’ and 25 guarantees. We are focusing on our campaign but we are forced to respond because the PM believes in the Goebbelsian philosophy that if you repeat a lie multiple times, it becomes the truth. The office of the Prime Minister must command respect but this PM is using the worst form of lies that bring down the prestige of his office. He is incapable of speaking the truth even by accident.
But it was reported by the media that the inheritance tax is being promoted by one of your senior leaders.
The media has become a willing part of this factory of lies. Look at the interviews that are being conducted with the PM. Senior editors sit there like bhakts, not asking counter questions. All their criticism and tough questions are reserved for the Opposition, nothing for the PM and the BJP even when they spread the most egregious lies and communal propaganda. Mr L. K. Advani once said that during the Emergency, the media was asked to bend but they crawled. Right now, the media are not just crawling, they are sitting in the lap of this government and parroting their propaganda. It is a travesty.
But the Congress too tried to control and gag the media, what happened during the Emergency cannot be forgotten.
. Emergency was an error of judgement. Arun Shourie has summed it up – that was declared Emergency and now what we are facing an undeclared Emergency.