The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M] has nominated A. Vijayaraghavan, a Polit Bureau member and former convener of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), to contest from the Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, which he previously won in 1989, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Vijayaraghavan has also served a term in the Rajya Sabha.
In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Vijayaraghavan, who is also the general secretary of the All India Agricultural Workers Union, highlights the necessity of the Left’s presence in Parliament.
Was it the CPI(M)‘s choice to field you to reclaim the Palakkad seat lost to the Congress during the pro-Rahul Gandhi wave in the 2019 General Elections?
The Left’s space is absolutely necessary in Parliament as no one speaks for labourers, peasants, and the exploited sections. Without Left representatives, discussions and debates are absent. The just-ended Lok Sabha session saw only legislations taking place. Parliament needs more Left MPs as a galvanising force. So the party selected apt candidates.
How do you rate the performance of the incumbent Palakkad MP, V.K. Sreekandan of the Congress?
I don’t want to turn it into a debate on his performance. If I initiate a debate, my political plank will be lost. The people are the best judges to evaluate his performance, and they know what he actually did. The euphoria that was created last time (in 2019) that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would become the first Prime Minister from a constituency in Kerala led to almost all Congress candidates winning at the hustings. There is no such thing now.
What is your vision for Palakkad? What do you have to offer the voters?
Palakkad has valuable natural resources. It thrives with an industrial culture and plays an important role in the industrial corridor linking Kochi and Coimbatore. Palakkad has some of the best-irrigated cultivated lands. Leveraging modern technology to augment agricultural income is imperative. Besides, the information technology-enabled sector and skill development segment offer promising avenues through collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology in Palakkad. The constituency has two major railway junctions – Palakkad and Shoranur. However, it is unfortunate that less than 10% of the vast railway-owned land is utilised for infrastructure development, leaving about 90% abandoned. My priority is to envisage projects to address this issue. Moreover, there is a pressing need for long-haul trains from these junctions.
What is your take on the perceived anti-incumbency against the Kerala government. Will it impact the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?
Kerala is the best-performing State in the country. The Left government has effectively utilised human resources, especially in the higher education sector, in a planned manner during the current tenure. However, the Centre has employed the Governor (Arif Mohammed Khan) to torpedo these plans and has also misused the Central agencies to destroy the federal structure of the Constitution. Kerala is also the best-fiscally-managed State, using its capital investment to fasten the economy. Then again, the Centre blames Kerala for borrowing funds. Our policy is to generate more income for the people. The LDF returned to power based on these policies. But those opposing us are trying to create a narrative that they have an upper hand in the election campaign. The biggest debate in Kerala during the Lok Sabha polls is the anti-minority stand of the Centre. Only the Left can oppose the religionisation of politics. The Congress has no clear stand on this, and the BJP is the creator of this majoritarianism.
