Political Parties Vying to Court Caste Groups in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala, known for its secular and egalitarian ethos, is now experiencing a rise in the influence of leaders from various caste groups, with political parties from across the spectrum courting them ahead of the local body and assembly polls.

The recent Global Ayyappa Sangamam, organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and supported by the Left government, garnered backing from prominent Hindu community organisations such as the SNDP representing the dominant OBC Ezhava community, the NSS of the forward Nair community and the KPMS of the Dalits. Notably, Hindus constitute 54 per cent of Kerala's population, with Ezhavas accounting for 28 per cent, Nairs 14 per cent and Dalits 10 per cent.

The Left leaders, who once kept caste - community organisations at arm's length, are now getting closer to them. The sight of SNDP general secretary Vellapally Natesan arriving at the Sabarimala conclave venue with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his official car raised many eyebrows in political circles.

However, the biggest surprise was NSS chief G Sukumaran Nair's open support for the LDF. It's politically significant as he was the only community leader who called for the ouster of the LDF government on polling day during the 2021 assembly elections.

Two days ago, Nair not only backed the LDF Government, but he also criticised the Congress, saying that the party does not want Hindu votes.

As the NSS has traditionally been a staunch supporter of the Congress, Nair's statement came as a shock to the Congressmen.

Besides Congress, the growing closeness between SNDP, NSS and the LDF has also caused concern in the BJP camp. Former BJP state president V Muraleedharan

paid a visit to SNDP chief Natesan's residence in Kanichukulangara on Friday and held talks with him.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, the BJP led in 11 assembly segments, including areas with a significant Ezhava population. The BJP gained an additional 50,000 to 1 lakh votes, many of which came from traditional CPM supporters.

The Left is worried that some sections of the Ezhava are gravitating towards the BJP. It is in this context that the CPM has even overlooked Vellapally Natesan's repeated divisive communal remarks against Muslims in Kerala.

CPM's stance on Sabarimala women's entry has also seen a reversal. CPM state secretary M V Govindan says his party stands firmly with believers. Today, the party is reluctant to support gender equality in all spheres, including places of worship.

Many view the CPM stand as opportunistic, aimed at garnering Hindu votes. It is worth recalling that the CPM tried to woo the Muslim community ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by organising massive public meetings against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA). These events were attended by prominent Muslim scholars and representatives of Muslims.

However, the pre-election Muslim outreach failed to improve the LDF's electoral prospects, with the front managing to win just one seat out of the 20. Now the CPM, which is often referred to as the largest Hindu party in Kerala, appears to be returning to its traditional base.

Interestingly, the Congress has now adopted the political stance previously taken by the Left. "We are against all forms of communalism. There is no question of compromising with communal organisations," declared opposition leader V D Satheeshan firmly.

He said the CPM is increasingly adopting a communal stand, and its new brand ambassador seems to be Yogi Adityanath. The party is even targeting the Muslim League, which had neutralised the attempt by hardline organisations to create communal strife in the state in the post-Babri Masjid demolition period.

Congress leaders argue that the majority of secular people in Kerala will reject the CPM's attempt to use the influence of caste organisations to garner votes. However, observers note that CPM has managed to rally major Hindu communities to its side, at least on the Sabarimala issue, and it is politically significant.

Whether the Left's new "social engineering" strategy will translate into electoral success remains to be seen.