NaMo Vichar Manch, an organisation floated by the BJP dissidents in the district a few months ago, is all set to spread its wings across the state, according to its leader O K Vasu, former district president of the BJP, who was recently suspended from the party. According to Vasu, the leaders of Lotus Clubs in Palakkad, Thiruvanthapuram, Wayanad and Kasargod districts and Rashtra Vichara Vedi of Thrissur have held preliminary discussions in this regard and decided to hold a state convention of the Namo Vichar Manch soon. The political stance of the new outfit will be announced ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
“BJP leadership is yet to realise the consequences of pooh-poohing our discontent over the unethical dealings of the Kannur district unit of the party and the RSS in Panur region, which has become a haven of criminals pledged to save the interests of the quarry owners and estate owners,” Vasu said. In the latest turn of events, Vasu had even shared platform with CPM leaders at a convention organised by the Patyam Gopalan Study and Research Centre. The meet, held in protest against implementing the Kasturirangan panel report, was inaugurated by CPM politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. Following this, CPM district secretary P Jayarajan had convened a press meet in Kannur, in which he exhorted the people of Kannur to come forward to protect Namo Vichar Manch activists, who, according to him, were under the constant threat of the RSS.
“The CPM will join hands with BJP dissidents in protest against the Kasturirangan report as they have adopted a stance contrary to that of the BJP leadership, which wants to introduce the report in its entirety. This support will continue in other issue-based struggles also,” Jayarajan explained.
However, Jayarajan’s declaration of open support to BJP dissidents has raised many an eyebrow and political observers consider it as a tactical move of the CPM to attract votes in Cheruvancherry region, a stronghold of the BJP dissidents, and thereby capture the prestigious Vadakara Lok Sabha seat.
E Maneesh, secretary of Panur Janakeeya Samithi, an independent collective of social activists, observed that A Asokan, BJP dissident leader, was so popular in Cheurvancherry area that all BJP activists would not have any hesitation in rallying behind him.
“The CPM and the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders are eying this votebank. CPM is particularly keen about wooing the dissidents with the hope that they could thus compensate the loss of votes in Onchiyam area, the stronghold of the RMP, to where the party could not make any inroads,” Maneesh added. Meanwhile, RMP state leader K S Hariharan said that the CPM’s open move to join hands with an organisation in the name of Narendra Modi would result in further loss of votes. The party move could be viewed only as yet another version of its earlier unprincipled and fruitless alliances with Madhani as well as with Raman Pillai faction, he said.
Anyhow, BJP leadership has not shown any sign of dispirit over the latest moves of the Namo Vichar Manch. State president V Muraleedharan said that P Jayarajan’s statement in support of Namo Vichar Manch had shown that the CPM, which had been maintaining political untouchability to Narendra Modi, had come under his magic spell, of late.
“It also reveals that the CPM cannot stick to any political line and its confidence has absolutely drained out,” he said. He added that dissidents were a microscopic group and the party did not find it worth considering.