Decode Politics: Why Vijayan govt vs Governor conflict has hit a flashpoint

The row seems to have left the ruling party concerned while also providing it with an opportunity to consolidate its influence in the institutes of higher education in the state.

What triggered the latest showdown?

This is the first time that the universities in the state have seen the nominations of the RSS/ABVP-backed members to the senate. In order to pave the way for their nominations, the Governor had rejected several names recommended by the university triggering fears within the CPI(M) about the BJP possibly finding a foothold in the state’s institutions, and academic bodies.

The BJP first won a seat in the state in the 2016 Assembly elections and drew a blank in the 2021 polls. After clinching Karnataka, the BJP has been trying to expand its footprint in other Southern states, including Kerala.

What is CPI(M)/SFI’s response?

Four members of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the CPI(M)’s student wing, last week moved the Kerala High Court against the rejection of their nominations, which granted an interim stay on Khan’s recommendations.

The SFI alleges that the Governor flouted all norms while nominating members to the Senate and filled the posts by rejecting eligible nominees. “Khan rejected the names of rank holders and instead nominated ABVP leaders, who are ineligible,’’ SFI state secretary P M Arsho alleged.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said the Governor cannot go ahead with such nominations without acknowledging the democratically-elected government. “He (Khan) is not honouring constitutional responsibilities and the protest against him is the democratic right of the students,” Govindan said.

Will the row affect control over institutions?

In Kerala, the Left has a clear edge over the BJP and ABVP as its student wing controls almost all universities. Deviating from the practice of the Raj Bhavan adhering to the suggestions of the government, Khan has been consistently flexing his muscles in the affairs of the universities.

Over the past two years, there have been frequent run-ins between Khan and the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government. In the aftermath of the incidents, the Kerala Assembly passed a Bill which removed the Governor as the ex-officio Chancellor of universities.

Khan refused to give assent to this Bill among other Bills, prompting the Vijayan government to move the Supreme Court against him. The state government told the apex court that Khan had been sitting on various Bills for the last two years. The soured relations between Khan and the state government has led to a delay in appointing permanent vice-chancellors in many universities across the state.

Is this an opportunity for SFI?

The SFI, often known to hold aggressive protests, has used Khan’s nominations to join the protests against him. It had been keeping a low profile since the CPI(M) came to power in the state in 2016.

This row has prompted the SFI to consolidate its position in campuses. It has staged protests in universities across the state on the issue.

The SFI’s protests against Khan’s alleged attempts to “saffronise” education has also enabled the CPI(M) to get the support of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the Opposition Congress’s ally in the state. The IUML had also lent its support to the Bill, which proposes to remove the Governor as the ex-officio Chancellor.

What is BJP’s stand?

BJP state president K Surendran alleged that the ruling party has been “intolerant” towards the Governor as he has ended the CPI(M) rule in the universities. “The CPI(M) is scared of losing control in universities. Even when the UDF was in power, the Left controlled universities. They are trying to threaten the Governor, a tactic which will not work anymore,” he said.