The Aam Admi Party has fielded 40-year-old Roman Catholic priest Fr M P Jesuraj, a staunch anti-nuke crusader as a candidate from Southern Tirunelveli constituency in Tamil Nadu.
Though the Church plays an active role in electoral politics in Kerala and the North-East, those who opt for the priestly vocation have traditionally stayed away from assuming politics. The cannon law (Cannon 287) of the Catholic Church too explicitly forbids them from accepting any civil office of authority. But, Jesuraj is determined to take the plunge. He says, “I have informed the ecclesiastical authorities and sought permission.”
He adds, “People with whom I have been working have decided that I contest the election. Another reason was the realisation that political power is necessary to bring in policy changes for sustainable development. This decision was not taken in a hurry, but after extensive deliberations,” says the young priest.
Affectionately called Mai Pa, he is part of the trio spearheading the anti-Kudankulam stir. The other two activists are Udayakumar and
M Pushparayan. Jesuraj rejected criticism that contesting elections was a betrayal of the anti-nuke movement. “We have not abandoned the movement against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power project. The decision to contest elections and that too on the AAP ticket is a conscious move to carry forward the movement,” Jesuraj says.
If Jesuraj succeeds, he will be the second priest in the country to have accomplished the feat. In the 1977 Lok Sabha polls, a Catholic priest had won from Bihar.