Thiruvananthapuram: The Malappuram by-election on April 12 is as much a challenge to Mr M M Hassan inasmuch as it is to main candidates because it gives him the opportunity as the acting KPCC president to mount a major UDF campaign against the “politics of polarization” played out at the national level in just-concluded elections by the centrist party. While principal foes are the Muslim League (UDF) and the CPM (LDF), BJP would leave no stone unturned in trying to improve its vote share over the 2014 LS elections and see the Modi magic visits Muslim pocket-boroughs of Kerala as in UP.
Congress sees this as a veritable opportunity to disabuse itself of “soft Hindutva” tag and initiate an unequivocal campaign against Modi’s Congress-mukth Bharat, which impliedly is an India “shorn of secularism, pluralism and other liberal values”. But this has to be reflected in sheer numbers. The UDF should be able to reassert its secular sway by bettering Mr E Ahmed’s last tally. The UDF should be happy to see erosions in rival camps but its political victory hinges on to what extent it diminishes BJP votes. BJP candidate N. Sreeprakash got 64, 705 votes in 2014.
Congress MLA K. Muraleedharan unraveled the game plan, urging Mr Hassan to take this as his first major challenge and put BJP in its place. BJP’s fulltime leaders and RSS cadre have been summoned to Malappuram. Sensing the tepid response to BJP conventions, RSS has deputed over 40 fulltime pracharaks, who have been working in mandalam and panchayat-levels to rough it out in the constituency.
Mr Hassan has decided to actively campaign in Malappuram as he is certain that it is going to be a real “test” for him as he works to shed the “acting president” label. League’s 4.37 lakh vote share is near perfection, which Mr Hassan has to perfect further. Mr Hassan is hamstrung in charting out a combative secular campaign like the CPM. Recall its beef festival. Both UDF and LDF appeal to the same minority communities and broad Hindu secular constituency. What tactic UDF adopts at the ground-level to tap into Hindu and Christian voters will determine the outcome.
