@the_news_21
Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala is increasingly proving itself a classic case of one step forward and two steps backwards. After the party’s pathetic performance in the Assembly elections, the credibility of the state leadership is in tatters, clouded by allegations of financial abuse and campaign mismanagement.
To make matters worse, BJP state president K Surendran himself is at the centre of these allegations and facing investigation.
Surendran, who contested and lost two assembly seats, is alleged to have paid a hefty sum to Janadhipatya Rashtriya Party (JRP) leader and tribal rights activist C K Janu to retain her outfit as an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and contest in her home district Wayanad.
Telephone conversations Surendran purportedly had with a JRP office-bearer in this regard have been aired by local media. Police have registered a case and the probe is on. Surendran is also facing an allegation of bribing an independent candidate to pull out of the race in Manjewsaram, one of the two seats he contested.
The party has rejected both the allegations as part of a vilification campaign mounted by the ruling CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). Surendran has asserted that the party will politically and legally fight the attempts to malign its image.
Whatever be the outcome of investigations into these allegations, the unfolding scenario has dented the party’s image severely. Electoral setbacks are nothing new to the BJP in Kerala. But this is for the first time that the party is facing a grim credibility crisis.
The BJP had mounted a no-holds-barred campaign with the bravado that it was all set to emerge as a major force in Kerala, breaking the dominance of the CPI(M)-propelled LDF and Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Resources it pumped in the field matched, and even surpassed in some cases, that of the rivals.
Taking it as a prestige battle, the central party had been generous in its support to the electoral efforts in Kerala, a terrain that had proved barren for the lotus to bloom. But the outcome turned out to be deeply disappointing. The party even lost a single seat it held in the previous house.
Rejoicing its rout, opponents flooded social media with trolls. In the mainstream media, analysts sought to figure out the reasons for its poor showing, after hoping for the best and ending up with the worst. All that the BJP could garner, along with its insignificant allies, was 12.36 per cent of the votes polled. This marked a fall from 14.88 pc in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 14.93 pc in the 2016 assembly elections.
Not even the most irrational optimist had expected the party would harvest a sizeable number of seats, given the state’s political realities and social and demographic configurations. Still, it was widely believed that the BJP would win a handful of seats by turning the tide in its favour in a clutch of constituencies where it had put up a strong fight to the final lap. Having even a couple of seats in the house would have made all the difference and helped the party to consolidate its ground and expand further.
While the defeat has demoralised the party ranks, factionalism at the upper organisational rungs is expected to intensify. For the time being, the central leadership has suppressed the voices, messaging rival groups against exacerbating the already tenuous situation. Those opposed to the Surendran camp, however, may demand a thorough overhaul of the party set-up, sooner rather than later.
The organisational concerns apart, a far more serious issue staring at the party is the possible desertion of the supporters and sympathisers who have gravitated to the BJP in recent times. Traditionally opposed to the CPI(M), this segment has rooted in the saffron party enthused by its national triumph under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Essentially anti-LDF, they had been entertaining the hope that the BJP would emerge as a credible alternative in Kerala too. The assembly poll outcome has shattered their faith. There is a distinct possibility that many of them would transfer their loyalty back to Congress.
It was with great pomp and fanfare that Surendran, enjoying the image of a firebrand leader, took over as the BJP state president in 2020. He was handpicked by the central leadership with the hope that his aggressive postures and acceptance among the ranks would boost the party’s electoral prospects. After raising the hope, he too has failed to deliver. Instead of rushing to find a successor, the central party might wait for some time before attempting an organisational shake-up.
Electoral benefits have consistently eluded the BJP in Kerala despite being a well-built organization. It is not far to seek the basic reason for its failure. Its hope of a breakthrough at the hustings has dashed against the demographic features of the state, where the minority communities account for over 40 per cent of the population.
There are two ways the party could overcome this stumbling block. Either it should win the overwhelming support of the Hindu community or gradually gain the confidence of at least a section of the minorities. Both the options are hard to achieve shortly.
