KOCHI: Allegations of vote trading have once again come to haunt the state BJP, with caretaker Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleging a deal between the saffron party and UDF to prevent an LDF victory. However, a close analysis of the voting pattern reveals that it is the LDF that has benefited from the shift in NDA votes.
A preliminary analysis by BJP has revealed a steep decline in party’s votes in constituencies where the Ezhava community holds sway. A senior BJP leader said there was a steep drop in NDA vote share in Ezhava strongholds of central and south Kerala. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan openly declared his support to Pinarayi on Monday, which points to an understanding between the Yogam and CPM, said the leader.
“The union secretaries of SNDP Yogam convened meetings and instructed the branch committees to mobilise votes for LDF. There were skirmishes in Konni, Adoor and Aroor when BJP supporters questioned the move,” said a party leader.
BDJS has been at loggerheads with BJP as the promises given by the latter’s national leadership in 2016 were not kept. A section of BDJS workers were allegedly inactive during campaigning and the steep drop in vote share in around 30 seats, including Kodungallur, Paravoor, Vaikom and Ettumanoor reveals the shift in votes. “While a section of Ezhava votes shifted in favour of LDF, we lost a considerable amount of Nair votes following a call given by NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair. The CPM instigated the SNDP Yogam leadership to vote for LDF to stop a Nair leader from becoming the chief minister,” he alleged.
The NDA’s vote share in Kerala had climbed from 6.06% in the 2011 assembly polls to 16% in 2016 after BDJS joined the fold. However, its vote share declined to 12.04% this time. BDJS’ vote share declined from 3.93% in 2016 to 1% this time. It seems a section of Ezhava voters, who were CPM supporters before the formation of BDJS, have now returned to the left party.
“Allegations against BDJS leaders are not true. They were active during campaigning and the rise in vote share in constituencies like Chathannoor and Attingal are examples of their dedicated work. However, CPM succeeded in luring away a section of Ezhava voters who supported NDA for 2016. This happened in some constituencies and we are analysing the results to ascertain the reasons for the debacle,” said BJP state general secretary B Gopalakrishnan.
A campaign has kicked off in social media demanding a leadership change in BJP. The cadre are blaming state president K Surendran and Union Minister V Muraleedharan for the party’s poor show. In his Facebook page, Hindu Aikya Vedi general secretary R V Babu wrote that those responsible for the drop in vote share should own up responsibility.
A section of leaders have criticised the state leadership for spoiling the chance to attract Christian voters to NDA. Efforts made by Mizoram governor P S Sreedharan Pillai to involve Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the talks to resolve the church row between Jacobite and Orthodox factions had created a positive impact among the Christian community in the state. Jacobite bishops were invited to Delhi on the assurance of meeting Home Minister Amit Shah. However, the state BJP leadership backtracked and the bishops returned with a wounded heart after waiting for two days.
BDJS PLANS TO LEAVE NDA FOLD
Kochi: The Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a political party with considerable influence among the Ezhava community, may leave the NDA fold soon. As a first step party president Thushar Vellappally may resign from the post of NDA state convenor. The state council of the BDJS which will hold a virtual meet on Wednesday will take a final call on the proposal.
The decision comes in the back drop of the growing discord and the authoritarian attitude of the BJP. “There is no democracy in the NDA in Kerala. The BJP unilaterally took over our seats and were imposing their decisions on us. While the BDJS workers campaigned with dedication for BJP candidates, they did not support our candidates which led to a sharp decline in our vote share,” said a BDJS leader.