In Kerala's Vadakara, CPI(M) Candidate Spotlights Secularism, Chides Congress For ‘Being Mum’

Kappad Beach (Vadakara): The Kerala Lok Sabha polls are brimming with irony – the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) rules God’s own country, with its voters, many of whom are religious and worshipping believers; the BJP and Prime Minister Modi have dumped majoritarian and divisive Hindutva politics in the state as it actively woos minorities, which include several sects of Christians, apart from putting up two Muslim candidates, in Malappuram and Ponnani.

This is a complete turnaround from the BJP’s exclusionist policy in the rest of the country.

While the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) characteristically falls between two stools even as it refuses to acknowledge its powerful ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the latter’s official green flags (Hindutva’s dog whistle for all things Muslim, Pakistan, etc.) were banned at Rahul Gandhi’s rally in his constituency in Wayanad.

The local saying in response to this was that the Congress feared Modi-kodi (flag), while Modi used it to whip up communal disunity.

Perhaps Kerala’s good fortune for all those who are anti-RSS/BJP is that both dominant political forces, the LDF and the UDF, are patently anti-Hindutva forces, and thus the voters have the luxury of choosing the UDF and LDF for their schemes and policies, those which are progressive and beneficial, rather than vote to keep the BJP out of the way.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, though has certainly been increasing its vote share pretty impressively from 10.85% in 2014 to 15.20% in 2019 – the BJP itself got 12.93% of the votes, according to Election Commission data – falls short of even remotely jettisoning the two biggies in the state.

So, what do voters look for when they choose their candidate in a Lok Sabha poll? Are their stance and intentions, as also preferences, different in a state assembly election, as opposed to a national election?

The obvious answer is a yes – if you look at the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, where the Congress-led UDF swept the state, winning 19 out of the 20 seats; but two years later, in 2021, the LDF swept the assembly polls in a surprise second term win, defying anti-incumbency because of its commendable work during the devastating floods and in the COVID-19 period.

This dualism is handled deftly but turned on its head at the colourful rally of the CPI(M) candidate in the Vadakara constituency in north Malabar, the redoubtable K.K. Shailaja (or Shailaja Teacher, as she is fondly called) – the face of the party’s victorious COVID-19 war – in the little beachside town of Kappad Beach.

The call now is for strong local leaders to be elected to parliament to raise issues that are pertinent to the state, at the national level.

It’s almost 9 pm, but the crowds lining the corniche along the beach snaking a mile down to her meeting ground has women, children and men waving party flags, even as a disco van with upbeat party songs get the young dancing as they follow the music and slogans blaring from the speakers.

This crowd is mostly dominated by Muslim locals – older women in hijabs while the young have thrown a scarf carelessly over their heads, even as the sea breeze knocks them off cheerily – the men manage to keep the mild crowd on the side to ease the sporadic traffic.

Anirussa is a 25-year-old working in a cooperative bank, married and is a committed CPI(M) voter.

She explains, “We need a strong voice in parliament to take up issues about the CAA, UCC and the like. Yes, in Kerala, we don’t have problems like in the north about how we live – we can dress the way we like, what we eat is a personal choice, what we talk  … we live the way we like, but we need someone who is committed to our secular ideals and there’s no one other than like Shailaja Teacher who will represent us best in parliament.’’

But wouldn’t Shailaja be a better candidate for the state – she is a sitting MLA from Mattanur – to take up local issues, which she had handled so deftly in the past?

Laavya, a 12th-class schoolgirl, is vivid when she says, “Shailaja Teacher was recognised all over the world for her swift and skilful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as Kerala’s health minister, and it’s time that she is recognised in parliament, as she will raise the right issues nationally for us.”

Is it not a blow to the Congress and its ally, the IUML, who believe they are best suited to raise in parliament pertinent questions that affect the community and the locals?

The small throng of curious women who are more inclined towards the Congress are, however, sarcastic when they laugh and point out that all the Congress is known for today is the drove of leaders leaving the party and joining the BJP.

“How can we trust the Congress to take up our issues if leaders keep joining the BJP?”, they chorus.

It was not long before K.K. Shailaja and her convoy appeared and a boisterous procession led her to the meeting place, as she waved to bystanders standing in an open van. She is accompanied by Kanathil Jameela, the MLA from neighbouring Quilandy, and it’s a firm Shailaja who addresses the gathering immediately as there can be no public address after 10 pm.

Typically, she takes the cue from her party leadership, which has accused the Congress of being slack in attacking the BJP and Modi; rather, the latter has been brutal in attacking the CPI(M) instead, as well as its chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, even asking why the CM has not been arrested by central agencies for an alleged IT scam involving his daughter’s company.

“The Congress not only failed to protest when Article 370 was abrogated,” says Shailaja firmly, “the Congress has not even mentioned the CAA in its manifesto; and while the [CPI(M)] has vowed to repeal draconian laws like the UAPA and PMLA, the Congress makes weak noises.”

Later, speaking to The Wire, Shailaja elaborates, “Today, the constitution and secularism are in danger because of the BJP, and our fight is to save it, and we have to raise our voice to save democracy, but the Congress is keeping mum on these issues – they are hesitant and are not giving their opinion freely.”

Shailaja also blames the IUML for not even visiting Gujarat during the 2002 riots when she says, “How can the IUML claim to protect the interests of the Muslims when its two MPs did not even visit Gujarat after the riots? Our women leaders, from Subhasini Ali to Brinda Karat, went to the state to meet victims, but [the IUML did not].”

It’s a do-or-die battle for the CPI(M) in Kerala, which needs a few seats in parliament to stay relevant nationally after its complete rout in 2019, even as it has been wiped out in West Bengal and Tripura. And party leaders have been berating the Congress for not raising its voice in parliament on crucial issues, from Kashmir to Kerala.

It seems to have hit a chord with people when they say strong local leaders now have to be in parliament to raise issues nationally, whether it’s about getting tax dues from the Union government for development of the state, or communalism.

M. Rijish is a 30-year-old interior designer who candidly admits that he voted for the Congress but is disappointed that the sitting Vadakara MP, Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, did not manage to get any additional passenger trains to the state, which is the cheapest way for people to commute; or even small scale industries to Vadakara, which drive development.

As Rijish says, “The Congress MPs together could have collectively raised their voices for the development of the state, which did not happen. It’s time we have a more diverse and forceful voice at the national level.”

So, is the CPI(M) poised to win a few states in the state?

In Vadakara, the Congress candidate Shafi Parambil is also a sitting MLA from Palakkad, and the 41-year-old MLA defeated Metro Man E. Sreedharan of the BJP. He has now been foisted on Vadakara against Shailaja, after the incumbent Muraleedharan has been moved to Thrissur.

Parambil has launched an energetic campaign against his rival, even though he was attacked for the anonymous misogynistic posts against Shailaja, but he was quick to turn it against the CPI(M) when he filed a counter suit against its party workers for the cyber campaign against him.

Both Shailaja and Parambil have filed suits against each other too.

However, Parambil is determined he wants to steer clear of unseemly controversies, as he told a rally, and focus on development issues.

While Parambil is also new to the constituency, political observers believe Shailaja would have been better off if she had fought in the neighbouring Kannur constituency, further north, which is more pro-CPI(M) and also Shailaja’s home town.

Could a better candidate selection have worked better for the CPI(M)?

The Vadakara result could perhaps reflect the fortunes of the LDF and UDF in the state.