Rubber price politics appears potent enough to alter Kerala’s electoral landscape in the looming pre-Lok Sabha poll season.
For one, Leader of the Opposition, V. D. Satheesan has attempted to push the Kerala Congress (M) led by Jose. K. Mani into a tricky corner by asking the Left Democratic Front (LDF) ally to shed blind political loyalty to the ruling alliance and take up the gauntlet to fight for the welfare of rubber farmers. He underscores that the United Democratic Front has no hostility to the KC(M), seemingly holding an olive branch to the one-time ally, but reminds the party that it risks losing its traditional support base among settler farmers if it remains aligned with a government that has turned its back on rubber farmers.
The Congress appears to be under no false impression that it could woo the KC(M) back to the UDF fold. Nevertheless, the UDF’s tactical gambit seems targeted at making inroads into KC(M)‘s predominantly support base by questioning its commitment to rubber farmer welfare, perhaps with an eye on engineering defections to the UDF.
A UDF-backed Independent’s win against a KC(M) candidate in the Kadaplamattam grama panchayat in Kottayam has emboldened the Congress and deeply worried the KC(M). The UDF seems intent on pressing home the advantage.
The BJP also seems intent on exploiting the crisis in the rubber sector to make inroads into the Christian community. It has hinted at a Central intervention to ensure higher rubber prices. But, the BJP has found the clergy disunited in responding to the party’s courtship moves.
For one, Sathyadeepam, the mouthpiece of the Syro-Malabar Church (Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese), has distanced itself from Thalassery Archbishop Thomas Pampalny’s political line that settler frames would gift the BJP a Lok Sabha seat in north Kerala if the Centre assures them a minimum support price of Rs 300 or higher for a kg of rubber.
The newspaper feels that more significant issues, including minority persecution, dominated the Church’s relationship with the BJP, not rubber price alone.
Nevertheless, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to woo Christian votes. Its minority morcha wing is spearheading the charm offensive, with leaders making a flurry of calls on influential Church leaders to prepare the ground for the BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign.
