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SNDP bid to have deal with BJP rattles CPM

Trivandrum - Moderate leaders like Thomas Isaac are against any confrontation with the SNDP as it has considerable sway over the Ezhavas, who forms the backbone of the party.

By T.K. Devasia

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Published: Tue 4 Aug 2015, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Tue 4 Aug 2015, 8:57 AM

The attempt by Sree Narayana Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), which represents the Ezhava community, to strike a political deal with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala has rattled the Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPM), which heads the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF).
A framework for a political tie-up was discussed at a meeting SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan had with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah in New Delhi last week. It is likely to be finalised when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the state next month. Natesan has reportedly sought a representation for the SNDP in the federal ministry via Rajya Sabha.
Though the CPM state leadership has sought to put up a brave face saying that the members of the community will not approve any move to saffronise the organisation, they privately share the view that such a tie-up may help the BJP in making inroads into their base as seen in the Aruvikkara by-election in which the BJP increased its votes by four fold.
Moderate leaders like Thomas Isaac are against any confrontation with the SNDP as it has considerable sway over the Ezhavas, who forms the backbone of the party. He has called for a dialogue with the SNDP leadership to sort out the grievances they nurse against the CPM.
The moderate leaders feel that the party will meet the fate of the West Bengal unit if they ignore the Ezhavas, who constitute about 25 per cent of the state's population. The BJP had succeeded in pushing the CPM to third place at many places in the eastern state in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP had pushed the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second largest ally of the CPM, to third place in the last Lok Sabha election in the Kerala capital of Trivandrum. The CPM leaders feel that the BJP may not pose much threat to the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) as they enjoy the solid backing of the minorities, who form about 45 per cent of the population.
news@khaleejtimes.com


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