Congress rejects SDPI’s support for LS elections

The Congressled UDF has rejected the Social Democratic Party of India's (SDPI) support in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

KPCC acting president M.M. Hassan and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan sought to end the uncertainty over accepting the support by stating that the UDF leadership has in Wayanad on Wednesday categorically rejected the SDPI’s support.

Mr. Satheesan said the Congress rejected majority and minority communalism. They were two sides of the same coin. “Citizens vote as individuals, and the UDF hopes to get their endorsement on the merit of its manifesto and political agenda,” he said. Speaking to a television channel, SDPI State president Ashraf Moulavi vehemently denied the insinuation that the SDPI was a fundamentalist organisation.

“The SDPI is a political party recognised by the Election Commission of India (ECI). It has more than 2,000 elected local body representatives nationwide and is poised to contest 20 Lok Sabha seats in different parts of the country, except Kerala,” Mr. Moulavi said.

Mr. Moulavi said the UDF did not seek SDPI’s support. After due deliberation, the SDPI made the political decision to back the Congress and refrain from contesting in the UDF’s strongholds in Kerala. “No democratic entity contesting elections can afford to say we do not need votes of any particular group or another,” he pointed out.

The Congress’ decision to disavow the SDPI reportedly stemmed from the IUML’s opposition and the anxiety that any alliance with the organisation could imperil the UDF’s support among Christians and Hindus. The UDF reportedly felt that the 2010 Popular Front of India attack on a college teacher on the charge of blasphemy remained stark in public memory.

In Malappuram, CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said the UDF had won SDPI’s support in the Lok Sabha elections by promising reciprocity in the next local body elections.