Natesan-Modi meeting triggers speculations over BJP's bid to tap Kerala's Ezhava vote base

The closed door meeting has triggered speculation that the BJP is trying to tap the Ezhava vote base by engaging with the SNDP.

Thiruvananthapuram: A recent meeting of Kerala's Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) general secretary Vellappally Natesan with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has triggered speculations of the BJP's bid to tap the Hindu-Ezhava vote base of Kerala, which is the largest Hindu community in the state.

Even as Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a political outfit that was launched by Natesan and headed by his son Thushar Vellappally, is part of the NDA in Kerala over the last several years, it could not make much inroads into the Ezhava vote base, which is generally considered to be pro-CPM.

Hence the Modi-Natesan closed door meeting the other day has triggered speculation that the BJP is trying to tap the Ezhava vote base by engaging with the SNDP, which is the key body of the Ezhava community that comes in the OBC category.

The support extended by Natesan to Modi's call for lighting lamps at homes during the Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration and SNDP's backing to Uniform Civil Code are also cited by political analysts in this context. Moreover, Natesan faced financial allegations and had even come under ED scanner earlier.

The Modi-Natesan meeting at the PM's residence took place on Saturday close on the heels of Modi and other top BJP leaders attending the wedding reception of Thushar's daughter at Delhi the other day.

Natesan maintains that no politics were discussed. "No politics were discussed during the meeting with the Prime Minister as I'm not a politician. It was a courtesy call as part of my granddaughter's wedding," he told DH.

Social activist and political commentator M N Karassery said that at a time when the BJP was making all out efforts to win a seat in Kerala, attempts of the saffron party to woo the SNDP by playing Hinduism could not be ruled out.

"Even as Nair Service Society that represents the upper caste Hindu-Nair community and the SNDP never took the same political stands, with regard to the Ram temple the leaders of both the outfits backed Modi's call for lighting lamps at houses. It means that the BJP could bring the two outfits on a same platform by playing Hinduism," Karassery pointed out.

As per various studies, Ezhavas constitute 22 per cent of Kerala's population and Nairs constitute 12 per cent. Among the Hindu population of Kerala, Ezhavas constitute nearly 40 per cent and Nairs 22 per cent.

Meanwhile, there were also reports that candidature of Thushar in the Lok Sabha polls were also discussed by Modi and Natesan. Thushar was the NDA candidate at Wayanad in the 2019 election. But now the BJP plans to field as a prominent leader at Wayanad as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest again from Wayanad.