Kerala caste body to throw weight behind BJP

Vellappally Natesan

The Bharatiya Janata Party's attempt to stitch together a third front in the southern Indian state of Kerala has got a boost with a lower caste Hindu organisation deciding to work with the saffron party.
The move by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, a caste organisation of the Ezhava community that accounts for 60 per cent of the Hindu population in the state, got the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The details of the talks Modi had with SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan and his son Thushar Vellappally in New Delhi on Thursday were not immediately available. The meeting followed talks BJP president Amit Shah had with Natesan in Kerala on Sunday.
The discussions with Shah mainly centred round forging a political alliance with the party proposed to be floated by the SNDP. Natesan, who has already got the mandate of the SNDP general body for forming the party, will put the party in place after the local body elections. The two will have a political understanding for the local body elections.
The SNDP is planning to field independent candidates with the support of BJP in all major Ezhava pockets in the state. Natesan had reportedly discussed seat adjustments with Shah.
Natesan had also demanded role for the SNDP in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre and in the government bodies. He is learnt to have sought a place for his son in the Modi ministry and appointment of senior SNDP leaders to various corporations and trusts under the federal government.
There were reports that the national leadership of the BJP was prepared to project Natesan as the chief ministerial candidate of the third front. However, party state leaders have dismissed this as a false propaganda by the detractors of the party.
BJP state general secretary K Surendran said that the party's alliance with the SNDP would affect the electoral prospects of many parties. They are trying to torpedo the proposed alliance by creating confusion in the minds of the people.
Almost all parties in the state have been opposing the marriage between SNDP and the BJP saying that it was against the 'one caste, one religion and one deity for man' teachings of Sree Narayana Guru, who founded the SNDP. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has accused Natesan and his son of trying to surrender the famed social reformer to BJP, which believes only in one religion. Party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the ordinary Ezhavas, who venerate Guru, will not allow this.
Party veteran and opposition leader V S Achuthanandan has termed the move as part of Natesan's attempt to shield his corrupt deals. He accused Natesan of amassing more than Rs1 billion from bribes from admissions and appointments in educational institutions run by the SNDP.
Natesan started moving closer to the Sangh Parivar after Modi declared his intention to bring back money stashed in Swiss banks.
The CPI (M) is rattled by the proposed alliance as Ezhavas constitute a large chunk of its rank and file.
The BJP, which is yet to open its account in Kerala, is also wooing other backward outfits like the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha, a Dalit community organisation, the Dheevara Sabha, an outfit representing fishermen, and the Yogakshema Sabha - to join the third front.

• India