Shri O. Rajagopal has just returned to his place of rest near the BJP district office in Harikkaran street in Palakkad Town after a gruelling campaign in the Kodumbu panchayat area of Palakkad constituency, which began at 6.00 am. After a short rest, he has to commence his second leg of campaigning, which is to cover the main bazaar area and end at the Tamil Brahmins? area of Noorani by well past mid-night. In an interview to Organiser correspondent S. Chandrasekhar, he is overwhelmed by the massive public response to his candidature. Excerpts;
In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections you had got almost 2.5 lakh votes in Thiruvananthapuram, coming first in two assembly segments and also second in two assembly segments. Why did you shift from Thiruvananthapuram to Palakkad?
As a worker of Jana Sangh since 1956, the whole state of Kerala is my karmabhoomi, but Palakkad is my janmabhoomi. I was born here. I did my graduation from Victoria College. I studied law here. I practised in Palakkad courts from 1956 to 1968. After the murder of Pandit Deendayalji in 1968 there was a call for more full-timers to build the party. I quit my legal profession and has since been working full-time. Even during my ministership, I kept visiting Palakkad. When elections were announced, there was massive pressure on me to contest from Palakkad. But it was a surprise when BJP President Shri Rajnath Singh announced my candidature at a massive public rally in Kottamaidan. I bowed to the wishes of the public and the party.
What are the factors favourable to you?
As minister of state in railways and urban development, I had initiated massive development works in Kerala. I had started trains from Kerala to 16 state capitals. Almost Rs. 500 crore were allotted for track doubling, electrification, modernisation of railway stations and construction of 60 over-bridges for de-congesting road traffic. During my stint in the urban development ministry, I had allotted HUDCO loan totalling Rs. 600 crore to local bodies of Kerala and I had written off Rs. 190 crore due from various local bodies to HUDCO. These funds were for housing for poor and weaker sections, clearance of slum, providing drainage and digging of well etc. Cutting across party lines there was an overall appreciation for my initiatives. Local bodies ruled by CPM, Congress, Muslim League etc. honoured me with public receptions. I had done for Kerala in five years, what CPM and Congress could not do in 50 years.
What about specific development projects in Palakkad?
A night train from Palakkad to Thiruvananthapuram and vice-versa had been the dream of Palakkad people for over 50 years. I introduced the Amrita Express train in the Thiruvananthapuram-Palakkad-Thiruvananthapuram route (daily), which was a runaway hit. Shri K. Sankaranarayanan, former finance minister, ex-UDF convener, Congress leader and Palakkad MLA, said that this Amrita Express is enough for Shri Rajagopal to win. I gave sanction for three railway over-bridges in Palakkad town and allotted funds. But the subsequent UPA ministry did not allot funds and the pillars of these bridges are standing as towering monuments of neglect for which Left and Congress are responsible. Under the Valmiki Ambedkar Aavaz Yojana, I had given Rs. 40,000 each to 750 slum-dwellers to build houses, without any caste, religious or political considerations. Rs. 2.40 crore were given via HUDCO for a world-class bus stand for Palakkad. Another rupees one crore were given for solid-waste management. Also almost rupees six crore were given by Urban Development Ministry to Palakkad Municipality for various projects. In addition to the strong base which the RSS-BJP has in Palakkad, I am seeking a positive vote from all sections for adding on the development works initiated by me.
What about your opponents?
Two former finance ministers of Kerala, Shri Sivadasa Menon of CPM and K. Sankaranarayanan of Congress, have represented Palakkad, but it still remains backward. Panchayats like Parli, Pirayari, Mankara and Kodumbu still remain backward lacking basic infrastructure like water, roads and electricity. A place like Kaloor, which exist in a rocky terrain with no infrastructure, is an insult to democratic and educated Kerala. The condition of the poor people living there is worse than that in stone-age civilisation. Both the Congress and the CPM are blaming each other, but Kerala is not developing. Sure of defeat, Sankaranarayanan has opted out of the contest. The Congress candidate A.V. Gopinath, an outsider, has no roots here. The CPM had earlier fielded Pinarayi loyalist Rashid Kanicheri, to mobilise the Muslim votes, but with V.S. Achudanandan gaining the upper hand, the CPM candidate is K.K. Divakaran, a V.S. man and a trade union man based in Thiruvananthapuram. Thus both my opponents are outsiders and I have the local man'sadvantage.
What about the community factors?
I am getting overall support from all sections of society. Even die-hard CPM and Muslim League cadres promised me support. The Congress and the CPM have promised the dominant Hindu Moothan community of inclusion as OBC, but they have done nothing. The entire community is in the forefront of my campaign. The 15,000 strong Tamil Brahmin community is also strongly behind me. They are angry at the double standards practised by the CPM and the Congress. While Kerala assembly passed a unanimous resolution for release of jehadi terrorist Madhani, they didn'tdo anything when Kanchi Shankaracharya was arrested on a false case. Dr. Krishnamoorty, a leader of the Brahmins, died of heart attack on hearing the news of Kanchi Acharya'sarrest. The RSS/BJP has a solid vote base of 30,000 votes in Palakkad and with the massive support from all sections of society, I am confident of winning. I have become the official candidate of the people of Palakkad and rest is in God'shands. Any vote for me will be a vote for Palakkad'sdevelopment and people have trust in my commitment based on my track record.
