Thiruvananthapuram: Will the Congress party give the Hindu Ezhava community its due when it finalises candidates for the Lok Sabha elections this time?
Ezhavas, unofficially, constitute nearly half of the 54.73 per cent Hindu population in Kerala, and its leaders want as many seats to contest and win.
If earlier five to six candidates from the community used to contest on the Congress tickets, but it dwindled to four last time - Attingal, Chalakudy, Vadakara and Kannur.
If earlier they used to hold Alappuzha, the Nair community snatched it away since.
When K. Karunakaran and A. K. Antony were at the helms there were four or more Ezhava ministers, ensuring proportionate representation.
Mr Karunakaran's fourth ministry (1991 - 95) saw M. T. Padma, C. V. Padmarajan, N. Ramakrishnan and K. P. Viswanathan representing the Ezhavas. Later in Mr Antony's second coming (1995 - 96), Kadavoor Sivadasan, C. V. Padmarajan and V. M. Sudheeran replaced them.
Oommen Chandy's first tenure as chief minister saw six Ezhava ministers - Vakkom Purushothaman, K. R. Gouri Amma, Babu Divakaran, K. P. Viswanathan, Adoor Prakash and A. Sujanapal, though two of them were from coalition partners.
But by the time he assumed office again in 2011, the number of Congress legislators from the community reduced to three and they had to be content with just two ministers, Adoor Prakash and K. Babu.
SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, who supports the CPM and BJP at will, says Ezhava leaders have become extinct in the Congress party.
"There has been a concerted effort on the NSS side to undermine Ezhavas and hijack key constituencies in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Just look at the statistics of the Nair MLAs, MPs and their staff," he told DC.
He also pointed out how a Nair leader like K. C. Venugopal went on to represent Alappuzha after Mr Sudheeran's defeat.
He also lamented how Adoor Prakash was being shifted to Attingal Lok Sabha seat from his hometown Assembly seat of Konny.
But a senior Congress leader said it was not realising its mistake and fielding weak candidates from the community to face a drubbing.
"Majority of the Ezhava Congress leaders would lend support to BDJS which would only weaken the party further. How many Muslim leaders are joining the Congress? They show their allegiance to the Muslim League. Similarly, those leaders from the central Travancore shows support to the Kerala Congress," he told DC.
AICC leadership realised their folly and appointed KPCC president and working president from the community.
