Left junks ideology in candidates selection
trivandrum — The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to make inroads into Kerala by projecting the two traditional rivals who have been sharing power alternately every five years as two sides of the same coin.
The line up of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates for the coming assembly polls on May 16 proves the BJP charge right. The list of 124 candidates released by the LDF on Wednesday suggests that it is more interested in winning the election than providing a credible Left alternative in the state.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) that heads the opposition coalition has given as many as 10 seats to people from outside the party fold. They comprise a film actor, three media personalities and four businessmen. The candidature of many of these people evoked strong protests from local party men.
The biggest opposition was mounted against the candidature of actor Mukesh at Quilon and TV personalities Veena George and Nikesh at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district and Azhikode in Kannur district respectively.
While the protests against Veena and Nikesh seems to have subsided following the final release of the candidates, the opposition to Mukesh’s candidature is continuing despite several rounds of talks party politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan had with the protestors.
Local CPI (M) workers are opposing the candidature of the three as none of them have played any active role in politics. Apart from the glamour quotient, the party weighed the political heritage of Mukesh and Nikesh for their candidature. While Mukesh’s father was active in CPI, the father of Nikesh had led a rebel outfit called Communist Marxist Party.
The main consideration for fielding Veena in the Christian dominated Aranmula segment is the position her husband holds in the Church. In fact, the CPI (M), which advocates secularism, has fielded similar candidates either from within party fold or outside solely on communal and caste basis.
This is very stark in the Muslimdominated Malappuram district, where the CPI (M) has lured leaders from Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest constituent of the ruling UDF, to contest the election. The party has picked up four businessmen, who were denied ticket by the IUML.
Political observers say that the CPI (M) has been diluting its ideology for power and feel that it will indirectly help the BJP, which is trying to build a third alternative. N M Pearson, a political analyst, says that the CPI (M) has been deviating from building a Left alternative because of its parliamentary illusions.