Tharoor Predicts BJP as Single-Largest Party in Upcoming Lok Sabha Polls
Kozhikode: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, addressing the ongoing Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), shared insights on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, predicting that the BJP is likely to emerge as the single-largest party. However, he highlighted the possibility of reducing their tally to a level where potential allies may reconsider their support, potentially favoring the opposition alliance.
Speaking about the diverse nature of India, Tharoor acknowledged that achieving unanimous agreements in every state within the opposition bloc, named INDIA, might be challenging. In a session titled 'India: The Future is Now,' he emphasized the importance of striving for cooperation despite not achieving a "100 per cent agreement in 100 per cent of the states."
Tharoor pointed out that seat-sharing among the 28 constituents of the INDIA bloc could vary, leading to complexities. He expressed a hope for "sufficient agreements" to avoid "preventable defeats" in as many states as possible. Acknowledging the variation in seat-sharing patterns, he cited the example of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where alliances differ significantly.
"In Kerala, it is almost impossible to imagine the two major opponents, CPI(M) and Congress, agreeing on seat-sharing. However, in Tamil Nadu, CPI, CPI(M), Congress, and DMK are allied together with no dispute," Tharoor explained.
Highlighting the importance of individual voter choices, Tharoor stressed that voters should focus on selecting the best candidate in their constituency rather than being swayed by slogans. He reminded the audience that only the people of Varanasi can vote directly for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is elected from that constituency.
The Kerala Literature Festival, attended by around 400 notable personalities, including historian William Dalrymple, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, author Abraham Verghese, Perumal Murugan, and comedian Kanan Gill, will conclude on Sunday. The event provided a platform for discussions on political and literary matters, bringing together diverse perspectives from various fields.
