Right distance wrong: community voters

Thiruvananthapuram: Bypoll results all the more prove that diktats of SNPD and NSS would not always hold sway at ballot box.

Members of nair communities made it clear to G Sukumaran nair that right distance policy was wrong, as much as ezhavas did to SNDP general secretary Vellapally Natesan that religious polarization was wrong.

Results of Vattiyurvakav, Konni, Aroor turned out to be backlash to community leaders who openly called for caste votes.

Vellapally was the first to raise caste in bypolls, demanding Hindu candidates, not necessarily Ezhava candidates, for Konni and Aroor.

Sukumaran nair haggled for konni and Vattiyurkav.  Their trump card was 62,000 ezhava community and 72,000 member nair community.

Just as CPM decided not bow to either communities, Congress had no choice but bend to NSS in both Konni and Vatiyurkav.

When result came out, NSS found its dreams shattered; even community members also disowned NSS in Vatiyurkav. Despite Vallapally’s support, 62,000 ezhava votes didn’t reach LDF box in Aroor either. Both the community outfits, since the formation of the state, have been playing covert and overt power-games in the state.  They even formed own political parties often sharing power.

After disbanding NDP in 1996, NSS didn’t dabble in politics; in the similar vein, when SRP proved insignificant, SNDP withdrew from open politics.

Later they tried to coerce forming an expanded coalition.  During the UDF government last time, SUkumaran nair openly clamoured for a key position on the basis of caste.

The coercive politics of NSS, began during its leadership in the erstwhile Renaissance movement, reached its acme during the Sabarimala agitation; meanwhile, SNDP went openly communal joining hands with Sangh Parivar forces.

This time during bypolls, NSS took out faith card but the community disowned it.