Kerala Assembly polls crucial for political future of all fronts

With hardly five weeks left for the Assembly polls in Kerala, all the major political fronts have pulled up their socks as this election is very crucial for the ruling CPM-led LDF, opposition Congress-led UDF and BJP-led NDA.

Kerala is the lone state where the CPM is now in power and hence the party needs to retain it to remain politically significant in the country. The Pinarayi Vijayan government, which came to power with a thumping majority of 91 out of the 140 seats, is pinning high hopes of creating history with a continuation of power in the state.

Welfare and development initiatives of the government are being highlighted by the LDF and the upper hand in the recent local body elections and a couple of pre-poll surveys in its favour had enhanced their confidence. But the ongoing row over deal with an US firm for deep sea trawler manufacturing and the stir by job aspirants may have its adverse impacts.

For the Congress, this election is crucial in plugging its eroding base in the country. Even as the Congress was pinning hopes on the trend of CPM and Congress coming to power successively, the local body election results had upset the hope. Shift in the Christian vote banks in favour of LDF was considered as a key reason. Bringing former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy back to the forefront was a crucial corrective measure by the party.

Congress triggered the Sabarimala women entry issue again and the BJP also joined it to corner the LDF. The LDF's concern over the move was reflected as the Vijayan government now decided to withdraw cases against thousands of devotees who staged protests against the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the Ayyappa temple.

The BJP seems to be pumping in the maximum effort to improve its position in the southern state where it could win only one seat, that too for the first time, in the last Assembly election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself launched a series of major infrastructure projects in the state last week and considerable allocations were made for Kerala in the union budget. Sabarimala women entry issue and development agenda are BJP's mantra. The saffron party is also roping in eminent personalities like 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan and trying to shed its Hindutva tag by initiating talks with church leaders to address issues of the Christian community and inducting leaders from the Muslim community to the party leadership.

Political undercurrents will be crucial this time as there is a general speculation that the BJP's focus would be its national agenda of 'Congress-mukt Bharat'. If the Congress loses in the Assembly polls, it may result in many Congress leaders jumping over to the BJP. A recent statement of BJP Kerala president K Surendran that the NDA will be able to form government in Kerala even if it wins only 35 to 40 seats and BJP state vice president Shobha Surendran’s statement that even Indian Union Muslim League was welcome to the NDA could be indications of the political under currents in the offing.