Congress should not abdicate idea of inclusive India: Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi: Asserting that the Lok Sabha poll verdict showed that 60 per cent voters do not agree with the BJP ideology, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said notwithstanding the election defeat, the Congress should not abdicate its idea of inclusive India for the sake of electoral benefits.
The three-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram also stressed that there was no "fundamental disagreement" in the Congress party about the idea of inclusive India.
"I genuinely believe, in last (Lok Sabha) elections, the BJP got 37 per cent votes and there are 60 per cent who do not agree with it. Among the 37 per cent also there are some who do not want to see India being reduced to a kind of majoritarian state," Tharoor said.
"So, if we try to behave like the ruling party, then why should anyone vote for us. It is those who agree with us, who want an India for everyone, they are the ones whom we should speak for," Tharoor told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by Congress' minority department.
He said the Congress belief in an inclusive India and working for all, distinguishes it from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Congress should stay strongly anchored in its own principle that India is for everyone which it has been articulating not just for the last 70 years but 130 years, he said.
"Our thinking of inclusive India should never change...Although we have lost the (Lok Sabha) elections, we should not abdicate our resolve, that is what I have been saying," he said and asserted that there can be no compromise on the party's core principles.
"I did not came into Congress party for a life long political career. I came into it because its the best vehicle for advancement of ideas of an inclusive India. Those ideas cannot be sacrificed merely for the sake of one seat here or 5 per cent (votes) somewhere else because at the end of the day the question remains what is our stand," he said.
"I think there is a healthy disagreement about ideology and that is a good thing because ultimately, out of that process we come to the conclusion what we stand for," Tharoor said.
The remarks by the former union minister came in response to a question on his interview to PTI on Sunday in which he said the answer to the party's woes in Hindi heartland does not lie in "majority appeasement" or offering some sort of a "Hindutva Lite" like a "Coke Lite" as such a pursuit will only end up in being "Congress Zero".
Tharoor's comments come following Congress' washout in the Hindi heartland in the Lok Sabha polls and suggestions by some from both within and outside the party that it needs to counter the BJP narrative of "minority appeasement" and go soft on its secularism refrain.
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Karnataka electoral roll SIR exercise to begin from June 20
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka will begin SIR of electoral rolls from June 20 as part of a nationwide exercise covering 16 states and three Union territories, CEO Anbu Kumar said on Friday.
The drive will cover more than 5.55 crore electors in the state, he said.
As per the schedule notified by the Election Commission (EC), preparation, training and printing activities will be carried out from June 20 to June 29 and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house visits from June 30 to July 29.
The rationalisation of polling stations is scheduled to be completed by July 29. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, following which claims and objections can be filed between August 5 and September 4.
The notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will continue from August 5 to October 3, and the final electoral roll will be published on October 7, it said.
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Addressing a press conference here, CEO Kumar said that in Karnataka, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer is fully prepared to proceed with the SIR of electoral rolls.
As part of this exercise, we have successfully mapped 86.46 per cent of our voters, he said.
"The primary objective of this entire exercise is to ensure that every eligible voter is enrolled, while simultaneously ensuring that no ineligible individuals are included in the voter list. Therefore, I seek the support and cooperation of all the voters of Karnataka, all political parties, and our friends from the media," he added.
According to the statement issued by the CEO's office, 59,050 BLOs will be involved in the SIR of the electoral roll in the state. The exercise will cover approximately 5,55,74,064 electors in the state as of May 12.
The SIR is a participative and transparent exercise involving electors, political parties and the election machinery. During the revision process, BLOs will undertake house-to-house visits for the distribution and collection of enumeration forms, the statement said.
Stating that there are currently 25,284 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by recognised political parties, the CEO urged all recognised political parties to appoint BLAs for every polling station to ensure active participation and transparency in the revision process.
Electors have been requested to cooperate with BLOs during the house-to-house distribution and collection of enumeration forms.
Further details regarding the revision process, forms and schedule will be made available on the official websites of the District Election Officers, the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, and the Election Commission of India, the statement said.
