The difficulty of being allies and rivals

Politics in Kerala has often reflected the contradictions in Opposition politics, and this time it has particularly amplified the incongruities in the I.N.D.I.A. grouping. Electoral politics becomes complicated when parties which are allies in one state or some states contest against each other in other states. It gets more complex when the contests happen simultaneously and the top leaders of the parties are directly involved in the contests.

Those who watch the politics tend to turn cynical about it and dismiss it as farcical. But such farce conceals serious politics in which existential questions of parties are involved. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the CPI(M), and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) are locked in a contradictory situation in Kerala, which mirrors the inconsistencies in Opposition politics across the country. 

The CPI(M) and the Congress are rivals in Kerala while they are part of the I.N.D.I.A. grouping and are electoral allies in many states including West Bengal, Tripura, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. But the hostility and acrimony between the two parties in Kerala is such that it would be difficult to imagine them as allies elsewhere.

That is basically because Kerala is most important for both parties. For the CPI(M), it is the only state where it can hope to be in power. The Congress wants to come to power in the state, and it is also the state which gave it the most number of MPs in 2019. So, both parties can only thrive on the other’s weakness.

Rahul Gandhi’s candidature from Wayanad has exacerbated the hostilities. He is contesting against CPI candidate Annie Raja, and is taunted as a leader who has fled the battle against the BJP. Both parties go to absurd lengths to criticise each other and accuse each other of being in a secret alliance with the BJP.

While the Congress criticises the Narendra Modi government for unleashing the central investigative agencies against Opposition leaders, it does not find fault with such actions against the CPI(M). The CPI(M) criticises the Congress of adopting ‘soft Hindutva’ policies and lacking the strength to fight the BJP. The BJP, on its part, accuses the two of being in league to thwart it.  

The situation in Kerala is extreme but not unique. There are many paradoxes in the Opposition situation in many states and at the national level, but that is because it well reflects the federal nature of politics and polity. Different regions in the country have different political cultures, and finding a common theme and interest is often difficult. But politics evolves through such situations, and the political sensibility of the people too evolves, judging them.