IANS
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala’s rival political fronts, the Congress-led UDF (United Democratic Front) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front, appeared united yesterday as they attacked the much publicised meeting between Kerala’s Hindu Ezhava community leader Vellapally Natesan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Thursday.
A beaming Natesan, after arriving at the airport here yesterday, claimed the poll prospects of the rival fronts in Kerala were on decline and headed for disaster.
Natesan, leader of the powerful Shree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Sangom that owes allegiance to social reformer Shree Narayana Guru, has put many on tenterhooks ever since he expressed his desire to form a political party.
In Kerala, Hindus constitute over 50% of the 3.30 crore population. Members of the Ezhava community are slightly ahead of the Hindu Nair community in the numbers game.
“The fact that the rival fronts have turned jittery over the meeting shows the strength of the SNDP. We will have no qualms in forming a third front with like-minded organisations. For us neither the CPI-M or the Congress or the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are untouchables,” Natesan said
Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan launched an attack on Natesan and his corrupt deals. He claimed Natesan’s Delhi trip was a family visit which included his wife and son, and was linked to widening of his ‘business’.
Achuthanandan had earlier demanded Natesan reveal how much money he had acquired through appointments made in various educational institutions under the Shree Narayana Trust.
CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the SNDP was now becoming a Natesan Sangom (personal fiefdom of Natesan).
“The BJP has nothing to lose in Kerala, and it’s quite natural for them to join hands with anyone. It’s time Chief Minister Oommen Chandy broke his silence on this alliance as the Congress is going to be the biggest gainer if there’s going to be a third front,” said Balakrishnan.
Congress president V M Sudheeran yesterday claimed that the likely alliance was one which defied logic. While the ideology of Shree Narayana Guru was secular that of the BJP-RSS combine was far from it, he said.
“This new found alliance is not at all going to make any impact,” Sudheeran claimed.
Expressing his happiness at the huge media coverage of the meeting, state BJP president V Muraleedharan pointed out that every political leader in the state had for the past couple of days only been speaking of the meeting.
“The media’s imagination is running wild. The other day it was written that Natesan is going to lead the third front and he would be the chief ministerial candidate. But Natesan has made it clear he is not going to contest any polls. So how can I respond to such news reports,” said Muraleedharan while speaking to reporters yesterday.
