CPI-M’s majoritarian tilt unnerves Congress, BJP in Kerala

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Thiruvananthapuram: In a tactical shift, the CPI (M) in Kerala has embarked on a Hindu outreach drive as part of its serious bid for a hat-trick win in the assembly elections due early next year.

The party’s strategic move has unnerved the principal opposition Congress-led UDF and the BJP.

The move gained momentum in the wake of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam held in Pampa, at the foothills of the famed Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, on September 20.

Though the conclave was not a big success in terms of turnout from other states and abroad, it sent a message across the state that the LDF regime accommodates the sentiments of the majority community.

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With Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself as the lead speaker, the event sought to quietly live down the aggressive position the government had taken in favour of the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that lifted the ban on the entry of women of menstruating age to worship at the hill shrine. The stance had sparked strong protests from the Congress and the BJP, spurring Hindu outfits to hit the streets.

Rubbishing the criticism that the Ayyappa conclave had political motives, the Chief Minister said its sole purpose was to discuss the sustainable and inclusive development of Sabarimala as one of the world’s major pilgrimage centres. He also stressed that Ayyappa’s message is one of unity and inclusivity, as the shrine is open to worshippers from all faiths.

Be that as it may, the ruling regime—especially the CPI (M)—appears to have stolen a march over rivals by winning the support of key non-political Hindu community organisations for the conclave. The most prominent among them were the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP Yogam) of the Ezhava community and the Nair Service Society (NSS) of the Nair community. Significantly, these two communities together account for the bulk of the Hindu population in Kerala.

While the SNDP Yogam was represented by its outspoken general secretary Vellappalli Natesan, the NSS sent a senior functionary to the event. Their presence signified an outright rejection of the stand taken by the Congress and the BJP towards the conclave.

The NSS, however, later clarified that not much political meaning should be read into the support it extended.

Indeed, the political preferences of vast sections of the two communities are not determined by the SNDP Yogam or the NSS. But the LDF has been able to create a perception that the interests of the majority community are more secure under its rule than with the Congress-led UDF, where the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is now a stronger component than ever before.

The CPI (M), which heads the LDF, traditionally draws its support mostly from the Hindu fold, especially the Ezhava community. Any slight shift of Ezhava votes to the UDF or the BJP would cost the party dearly. Keeping the numerically strong Hindu communities on its side is therefore vital for the LDF to make an all-out bid to script history by securing power for a third consecutive term.

Even so, it would be imprudent to assume that the LDF has sealed its prospects in the upcoming elections, due in March–April 2026. The majoritarian tilt could be an unsure bet, as the chances of it boomeranging cannot be ruled out. It could also lead to strong consolidation of minority communities against the ruling front. Such a scenario would dent the LDF’s chances in a state where Muslims and Christians together account for nearly half the population.

For the BJP, however, the emerging scenario appears bleak. If the LDF sustains the perception that it is a better choice for the majority community than both the Congress and the saffron party, the BJP’s support base may suffer erosion.

The local body elections due next month will be a test case for all three political players in the state.

All said, the moral of the unfolding story is clear: ideology and political consistency are dispensable when all that matters is garnering votes. This applies equally to the left, right, and centre in pragmatic politics.