Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has triggered a row in Kerala with his statement the that real fight in several constituencies in the Assembly election to be held in the State on May 16 is between the Congress-led UDF and the BJP and not between UDF and CPI(M)-led lDF.
Senior Congress leaders AK Antony and VM Sudheeran moved in quickly to disagree with Chandy even as the BJP interpreted the statement as an indication of the recognition of its strength in the State by the Chief Minister. The Marxist party said the statement was evidence for a secret agreement between Chandy and the BJP-RSS leadership.
“In constituencies where the BJP is strong, the fight is between the UDF and that party. In the Kasaragod and Manjeswaram seats where the BJP is strong, the CPI(M) is in the third place,” the Chief Minister said at an election meeting in Kuttanad, Alappuzha. BJP candidates had been claiming second position in these two seats for the past several elections.
Congress Working Committee member Antony and State Congress president Sudheeran contradicted Chandy. “The fight is between the UDF and lDF, no doubt about that. I don’t think the BJP is going to make any achievement in this poll. “It may try to ‘sneak in’ (to the Assembly) but the people of Kerala won’t allow that,” Sudheeran said.
As the statement sparked off a row within the Congress itself, Chandy came forward with an explanation on Saturday afternoon complaining that the media had distorted his statement. He said his only intention was to say that the CPI(M)’s presence was not being seen in constituencies where the BJP was a strong force.
Despite Chandy’s explanation, a section of observers felt that his original statement could have been part of a strategy to attract minority votes. “There is no denying the fact the UDF and lDF are competing to ensure the support of the minorities by spreading a BJP-phobia. The Chief Minister himself has used this strategy earlier,” said a senior journalist.
Chandy made a similar statement (“There is no need for surprise if the BJP claims second position”) during the campaign for the Assembly by-election in Aruvikkara last year. It was then said that votes of the minorities had flowed into the kitty of the UDF candidate as a result of this. Observers say that Chandy might be using the same strategy in this poll as well.
While Chandy’s statement at Kuttanad surprised his own partymen and enraged the CPI(M), the BJP had reason to be happy about it. “It is obvious that the Chief Minister has recognized the strength of the BJP. It is a matter of relief,” State BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan said. But he added that Chandy was trying to keep the UDF-lDF adjustment concealed.
“With Chandy’s statement, the secret agreement between him and the BJP leadership has become public,” was how State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan reacted to the Chief Minister’s statement. “Chandy has entered into a pact with the BJP to somehow make it strong force the State,” he said in Thiruvananthapuram.
“The understanding is that the BJP will help the UDF to remain in power after the election while Chandy will help it to win some seats… But we are sure that the UDF itself will reject this understanding. The Muslim league (second biggest constituent of the UDF) should clarify whether it agrees with Chandy’s plan,” Kodiyeri said.