Two fronts and new friends

Contours of a new political line-up for the Assembly polls, seven months away, are emerging in Kerala as the CPM breaks fresh ground with the Muslim League, and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP rush into each other’s arms in the local bodies elections, scheduled for September 25 & 27.

There are direct tie-ups between the CPM and League which continues be part of the UDF, in several panchayats in the Muslim heartland of Malappuram. Votes are being sought by CPM workers on the League symbol, the ladder, while the CPM has been more accommodative by fielding independents lest Muslims feel inhibited by its hammer, sickle and star.

Overt and covert CPM-League deals have catalysed the UDF-BJP hostility towards the CPM into electoral ties. Even the pro-Church Kerala Congress (M) has put up common candidates with the BJP. The distance between BJP and the rest of the parties is getting shorter with even Kerala Congress (J), an LDF partner, striking deals in a few wards with the BJP. KC (J) had denied it unlike KC (M) which justified its BJP connection.

The LDF strategy is to publicise the burgeoning “mahajot between the Congress and the BJP” and garner fresh support from Muslims and Christians. Given their shared opposition to the CPM, the Congress and the BJP will have to form a joint strategy so that the index of opposition unity against the LDF does not whittle down to their mutual disadvantage.

Therefore the local bodies elections, being held to the 17,000-odd wards in the state in two phases, would be a dress rehearsal for the Assembly polls. The CPM-League tie-up is expected to yield rich dividends for both parties in the four northern districts which have sizeable Muslim population.

THE League factor will add fuel to the faction fire raging in the state unit of the CPM. It lends an ideological dimension to the clash between the camps led by the party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and LDF convener V.S. Achuthanandan. Achutanandan has been stalling attempts by Vijayan and other leaders including Chief Minister EK Nayanar to work out an equation with the `communal’ League. The issue could come up for discussion at the party plenum which is to beld in October in Thiruvananthapuram.

The pro-Leaguers in the CPM would cite the success at elections, to clinch the debate in the party on allying with the League. The party finds it hard to ignore a sure recipe for return to power. And a tie-up with League would help CPM to dictate terms to junior partners like CPI and RSP.

In the UDF, Congress has turned the heat on the League by suspending rebels who challenged not only Congress candidates but also those of the other UDF partners. AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, who started his campaign from Kozhikode, was expected to interact with League supremo Panakkad Shihab Thangal. Opposition leader A.K. Antony was sad at the League’s extra-UDF ties and he made this clear by telling the media that he would tour only constituencies where there was a `perfect UDF understanding’.

Apart from the League question and charges of Congress-BJP association, the poll scene is riddled with instances of sheer political opportunism. In Payyavur in Kannur district, CPM was reported to have sought the help of UDF partner, Kerala Congress (Jacob) to spite Congress. The BJP claims that it has been approached by politicians of all hues for support.

The larger picture that emerges from the alliances struck for the local bodies is, the strict bipolar politics in Kerala based on rigid political coalitions forged two decades ago is changing. CPM, more than any other party, feels that the old ideological alliance is inadequate to effect a breach into the traditional UDF base.