10-15-2005, 03:03 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Pseudo-secularism out, BJP in </b>
Pioneer
Jeemon JacobÂ
The recently held civic body elections in Kerala revealed the changing political scenario in the state. Though the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) swept the urban bodies and panchayats,the victory is bittersweet. The party is now brooding over the political prospects of the BJP in the state. The BJP cornered an impressive tally in the civic body elections to become the single largest party in Palakad municipality with 17 seats, and bagged four panchayats in Kasargode district.
Understandably, the BJP leadership is jubilant. The much awaited victory has boosted the morale of its cadre. It has corked the infighting which bedevilled the state leadership for the time being. The BJP may be the only party which is comfortable with election results, which tells beyond election statistics and dogmas. The party has proved beyond doubt that it is emerging as third political force in the state.
Though the LDF won the maximum number of seats to the civic bodies, its leadership is an unhappy lot as the BJP made significant political gains in strategic points. The baffled CPI(M) leadership is trying its best to find a face-saving logical argument that can reassure its cadres.
In the civic body elections the Left has, once again, emerged as the biggest group with the most seats. All the five corporations and 12 out of 14 district panchayat councils went to the LDF fold. The Left Front, with the support of the K.Karunakaran-led Democratic Indira Congress, managed to secure majorities in 689 out of 999 gram panchayats in the state. Meanwhile, the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance could manage to secure majority in only two district panchayats, 12 municipalities, 25 block panchayats and 222 gram panchayats.
The only consoling factor for the Congress leadership is that the party has improved its vote share from 38.45 per cent in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections (when it lost all but one of the 20 constituencies in the state), to 40.38 per cent this time). But this data pertains to elections to the district panchayats, municipalities and corporations. The data regarding gram panchayats is not taken into account. Those who took care to leak out this significant statistic has gladdened the Congress leaders who are assured that their party has got a future in the urban areas of the state in the very least.
When the election dates were declared, the situation was quite different. Nobody dreamt that the BJP would make a political gain in the civic body elections. The Left Front was over-confident about its electoral prospects. After all, it has all the ingredients that go into making a convenient political environment - a discredited government, the support of Karunakaran and, of course, the momentum received from May 2004.
The CPI(M)'s leaders and cadre never considered the BJP as a force to reckon with. Though the BJP-led NDA won 12.12 per cent of votes in the 2004 elections, <b>the lone NDA member from Kerala in the 13th Lok Sabha, PC Thomas, switched his loyalty to the Left Front, thereby strengthening the Communists in central Kerala.The rubberised Mosses found the powerless BJP as an anti-minority and distinctly pro-Hindu - in short, a party that has no political future in his life-time. So, they were eager to present their secular credentials before the CPI(M) leadership for political accommodation.</b> It was a convenient proposition for the Communist leadership too, as <b>the entry of Mr Thomas opened the floodgates to votes from the middle class, neo-rich Christian families of central Kerala</b>. Under globalisation, money has evidently become dearer and political ideology obsolete to Kerala's reds.
The same logic applied when the CPI(M) leadership tried for a tactical understanding with Karunakaran's new-born party. The comrades embraced their old arch rival and praised him to the skies. They baptised Karunakaran and his son in the pool of political pardon and telecast his interview in the party channel, Kairali, to whitewash his involvement in custodial deaths during the Emergency. Born again, Karunakaran and his son fitted well in their new roles and proved their worth. VS Achuthanandan and his loyalists raised dissenting notes in the state committee, but their voice was silenced. And the stage was set for sweeping victory for Left.
Then, who facilitated the BJP's victory? The Communists blamed the Congress, but the CPI(M) leadership in the state is finding it difficult to explain why the party is sharing power in Vorkadi gram panchayat in Kasargode district with the BJP. Here the Communist member, Kittanna Shetty, was elected as president with the BJP's support. Similarly, BJP member Chandra Hasa Shetty was elected as vice-president of the panchayat with the CPI(M)'s support.
As a face saving attempt, the state CPI(M) leadership tried to get the resignation of its president in Vorkadi panchayat. But, to their dismay, he has gone underground! Worse, Kasargode district BJP president Balakrishna Shetty revealed that the CPI(M) leadership requested for the party's support in the president's election.
Again, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in Palakkad municipality, and the main opposition party in Kasargod and Kuthuparimba municipalities. It was more humiliating for the CPI(M), as Palakad is the home district of its general secretary, Prakash Karat.
The party leadership's blood pressure went up when two of their councillors were voted invalid during vice-chairman's election that ensured the BJP's victory - another blow to secularism and its godfathers.
In fact, both the Left and Congress leaderships facilitated a comfortable cruise the BJP in this election. The disintegrating Congress and the Left Front's political opportunism forced voters to think about a third political alternative in the state. Many people found the BJP as the right party. This change in their political attitude got reflected in the poll results.
<b>The BJP contested 37 out of 50 seats in Palakad municipality, where the party won 17 seats to become the largest single party.</b> The LDF and UDF got 16 seats each. Ten councillors of the BJP won their seats with thumping majority. In one municipal ward, the party candidate got 90 per cent of the votes polled. The party came to second position in four wards in Palakkad municipality. In many gram panchayats there, the party showed its political strength by winning the second spots. That worries the secularists no end.
What is the secret behind the BJP's victory? According to P Raghavan, who coordinated the campaign in Palakkad, it was political strategy all the way. <b>"We have penetrated into both the Congress and the CPI(M) vote-banks. We were honest in our political approach and sincere to voters. We are not ashamed of telling people what we are. Of course, we selected candidates who have winning chances and support of their community."</b>
Moreover, the party was able to score political mileage from the arrest of the Shankaracharya. Many Tamil Brahmins who have made Palakkad their home over generations without losing their distinctive identity, were hurt when the Shankaracharya was humiliated. The BJP capitalised this opportunity and won the people's sympathy.
But NN Krishnadas, the CPI(M)'s Lok Sabha MP, discounted such claims. According to him, the BJP only made marginal increase in its vote-bank due to the support of the Congress. "In the last Lok Sabha election too, the BJP polled a good number of votes and has a political base in the urban areas. It was the political opportunism of the Congress that gifted the BJP with impressive wins in many pockets," Mr Krishnadas said.
If the Congress is not sincere about its secular credentials, why is the CPI(M) supporting the UPA government at the Centre? The party cadres raise this question often, and the leadership is yet to find a convincing answer. The Left Front may design a three point political agenda for the future - fight the BJP nationally, drub the Congress in the state and liaison with the BJP locally. When it comes to the point of sharing power, who cares about the colour of the flag and political past of the man sitting next to you. After all, democracy is a numbers game and numbers reassures the BJP with a political space in Kerala.
(The author is a political commentator)Â
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Pioneer
Jeemon JacobÂ
The recently held civic body elections in Kerala revealed the changing political scenario in the state. Though the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) swept the urban bodies and panchayats,the victory is bittersweet. The party is now brooding over the political prospects of the BJP in the state. The BJP cornered an impressive tally in the civic body elections to become the single largest party in Palakad municipality with 17 seats, and bagged four panchayats in Kasargode district.
Understandably, the BJP leadership is jubilant. The much awaited victory has boosted the morale of its cadre. It has corked the infighting which bedevilled the state leadership for the time being. The BJP may be the only party which is comfortable with election results, which tells beyond election statistics and dogmas. The party has proved beyond doubt that it is emerging as third political force in the state.
Though the LDF won the maximum number of seats to the civic bodies, its leadership is an unhappy lot as the BJP made significant political gains in strategic points. The baffled CPI(M) leadership is trying its best to find a face-saving logical argument that can reassure its cadres.
In the civic body elections the Left has, once again, emerged as the biggest group with the most seats. All the five corporations and 12 out of 14 district panchayat councils went to the LDF fold. The Left Front, with the support of the K.Karunakaran-led Democratic Indira Congress, managed to secure majorities in 689 out of 999 gram panchayats in the state. Meanwhile, the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance could manage to secure majority in only two district panchayats, 12 municipalities, 25 block panchayats and 222 gram panchayats.
The only consoling factor for the Congress leadership is that the party has improved its vote share from 38.45 per cent in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections (when it lost all but one of the 20 constituencies in the state), to 40.38 per cent this time). But this data pertains to elections to the district panchayats, municipalities and corporations. The data regarding gram panchayats is not taken into account. Those who took care to leak out this significant statistic has gladdened the Congress leaders who are assured that their party has got a future in the urban areas of the state in the very least.
When the election dates were declared, the situation was quite different. Nobody dreamt that the BJP would make a political gain in the civic body elections. The Left Front was over-confident about its electoral prospects. After all, it has all the ingredients that go into making a convenient political environment - a discredited government, the support of Karunakaran and, of course, the momentum received from May 2004.
The CPI(M)'s leaders and cadre never considered the BJP as a force to reckon with. Though the BJP-led NDA won 12.12 per cent of votes in the 2004 elections, <b>the lone NDA member from Kerala in the 13th Lok Sabha, PC Thomas, switched his loyalty to the Left Front, thereby strengthening the Communists in central Kerala.The rubberised Mosses found the powerless BJP as an anti-minority and distinctly pro-Hindu - in short, a party that has no political future in his life-time. So, they were eager to present their secular credentials before the CPI(M) leadership for political accommodation.</b> It was a convenient proposition for the Communist leadership too, as <b>the entry of Mr Thomas opened the floodgates to votes from the middle class, neo-rich Christian families of central Kerala</b>. Under globalisation, money has evidently become dearer and political ideology obsolete to Kerala's reds.
The same logic applied when the CPI(M) leadership tried for a tactical understanding with Karunakaran's new-born party. The comrades embraced their old arch rival and praised him to the skies. They baptised Karunakaran and his son in the pool of political pardon and telecast his interview in the party channel, Kairali, to whitewash his involvement in custodial deaths during the Emergency. Born again, Karunakaran and his son fitted well in their new roles and proved their worth. VS Achuthanandan and his loyalists raised dissenting notes in the state committee, but their voice was silenced. And the stage was set for sweeping victory for Left.
Then, who facilitated the BJP's victory? The Communists blamed the Congress, but the CPI(M) leadership in the state is finding it difficult to explain why the party is sharing power in Vorkadi gram panchayat in Kasargode district with the BJP. Here the Communist member, Kittanna Shetty, was elected as president with the BJP's support. Similarly, BJP member Chandra Hasa Shetty was elected as vice-president of the panchayat with the CPI(M)'s support.
As a face saving attempt, the state CPI(M) leadership tried to get the resignation of its president in Vorkadi panchayat. But, to their dismay, he has gone underground! Worse, Kasargode district BJP president Balakrishna Shetty revealed that the CPI(M) leadership requested for the party's support in the president's election.
Again, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in Palakkad municipality, and the main opposition party in Kasargod and Kuthuparimba municipalities. It was more humiliating for the CPI(M), as Palakad is the home district of its general secretary, Prakash Karat.
The party leadership's blood pressure went up when two of their councillors were voted invalid during vice-chairman's election that ensured the BJP's victory - another blow to secularism and its godfathers.
In fact, both the Left and Congress leaderships facilitated a comfortable cruise the BJP in this election. The disintegrating Congress and the Left Front's political opportunism forced voters to think about a third political alternative in the state. Many people found the BJP as the right party. This change in their political attitude got reflected in the poll results.
<b>The BJP contested 37 out of 50 seats in Palakad municipality, where the party won 17 seats to become the largest single party.</b> The LDF and UDF got 16 seats each. Ten councillors of the BJP won their seats with thumping majority. In one municipal ward, the party candidate got 90 per cent of the votes polled. The party came to second position in four wards in Palakkad municipality. In many gram panchayats there, the party showed its political strength by winning the second spots. That worries the secularists no end.
What is the secret behind the BJP's victory? According to P Raghavan, who coordinated the campaign in Palakkad, it was political strategy all the way. <b>"We have penetrated into both the Congress and the CPI(M) vote-banks. We were honest in our political approach and sincere to voters. We are not ashamed of telling people what we are. Of course, we selected candidates who have winning chances and support of their community."</b>
Moreover, the party was able to score political mileage from the arrest of the Shankaracharya. Many Tamil Brahmins who have made Palakkad their home over generations without losing their distinctive identity, were hurt when the Shankaracharya was humiliated. The BJP capitalised this opportunity and won the people's sympathy.
But NN Krishnadas, the CPI(M)'s Lok Sabha MP, discounted such claims. According to him, the BJP only made marginal increase in its vote-bank due to the support of the Congress. "In the last Lok Sabha election too, the BJP polled a good number of votes and has a political base in the urban areas. It was the political opportunism of the Congress that gifted the BJP with impressive wins in many pockets," Mr Krishnadas said.
If the Congress is not sincere about its secular credentials, why is the CPI(M) supporting the UPA government at the Centre? The party cadres raise this question often, and the leadership is yet to find a convincing answer. The Left Front may design a three point political agenda for the future - fight the BJP nationally, drub the Congress in the state and liaison with the BJP locally. When it comes to the point of sharing power, who cares about the colour of the flag and political past of the man sitting next to you. After all, democracy is a numbers game and numbers reassures the BJP with a political space in Kerala.
(The author is a political commentator)Â
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