KOCHI: With the candidate finalisation of political parties almost complete, the leaders are gearing up to shift their campaigning into top gear. However, things are not so rosy for the Left Front as the earlier speculation that the Christian denominations in the state might show leniency towards the LDF seems to be receding.
The alleged neglect by the major fronts in candidate selection and the lack of clarity in the liquor policy proposed by the LDF have left various Christian communities, especially the Catholics, fuming. The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) had asked the LDF leaders to make their stance clear whether the bars closed down would be reopened if the front is voted to power.
Though CPM national secretary Sitaram Yechury had stated that the liquor policy would not be modified, the Catholic Church wants it to be included in the election manifesto. The KCBC states that the LDF’s policy of abstinence was impractical as its implementation would be difficult.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Congress, the political wing of the 50 lakh-member Syro-Malabar Church, has come out against both the fronts, alleging that the community was not given due representation in the candidates’ list. It has even threatened to field own candidates at least in three constituencies in Ernakulam district. However, there are some community leaders who believe that a majority of the Christian votes may go in favour of the LDF this time.
“The support of Churches to parties is often issue-based. While issues pertaining to CRZ may be the key factor in coastal regions, it will be the crisis in the agriculture sector that matters in the high ranges. However, there is a general lenience towards the left front among all Churches, including the Catholics,” said a Syro-Malabar community leader, on condition of anonymity.
PEOPLE, a Church-led federation of 31 farmers’ organisations, had earlier announced its support to the splinter group in the Kerala Congress(M), led by Francis George, which later shifted to the LDF camp after forming a new party, the Janadhipatya Kerala Congress. However, later it was decided that the member organisations of PEOPLE can take own stand as per the regional issues in the agriculture sector.
“PEOPLE had received proposal from both the fronts. But, since it is a joint platform, it’s not practical to take a common stand in favour of a front,” said PEOPLE coordinator V C Sebastian. Only the Malankara Orthodox Church has revealed its lenience towards the LDF.