BJP Looks To Cash On Third Alternative Tag In Kerala

Kerala has a third alternative now as filing of nominations the Assembly Elections in the state began on Friday. Bharatiya Janata Party is approaching voters by presenting itself as the ‘third alternative’ to United Democratic Front (UDF) and Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The polling is on 16 May and counting on 19 May. Liquor has become the main issue in the elections.

The Congress-led ruling UDF, CPI-M headed LDF and BJP alliance have already begun their campaign. The notification for the Assembly polls was issued on Friday (22 April) and the last date for filing of nominations is 29 April. Scrutiny would take place on 30 April and last date for withdrawal is 2 May.

BJP is led by 86-year-old former Union Minister O Rajagopal. Others in campaign and in the poll fray are state president Kummanon Rajasekharan, V Muraleedharan, CK Padmanabhan, PK Krishnadas and PS Sreedharan Pillai and firebrand woman leader Shobha Surendran. BJP would contest in 97 seats while for the remaining six seats, it has reached an understanding with small parties. BJP has forged an alliance with Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a new party formed by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), a social organisation of backward Ezhava community, allotting it 37 seats.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is spearheading the UDF campaign along with KPCC president VM Sudheeran and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.

The main campaigner for LDF is 93-year-old CPI-M stalwart VS Achuthanandan.

Congress is contesting 86 of the 140 Assembly seats in the state, leaving the rest to its partners. IUML, second largest UDF partner, has been allotted 24 seats, followed by KC-M 15, JD-U seven, RSP five, KC-J 2 and CMP one seat.

In contrast, CPI-M has fielded candidates in 92 constituencies, CPI-27, JD(S) five, NCP four, Congress (S) one. Other supporting LDF from outside-Janadhipatiya Kerala Congress four; INL three; Kerala Congress (B), a CMP faction, Kerala Congress Scaria, RSP (Leninst)- one each.

Meanwhile, liquor has become a major topic of debate in the election with the United Democratic Front (UDF) government granting licence to six new five-star hotels and the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) shying away from stating its stand on the phased prohibition initiated by the former.

While the UDF has sought to clear the apprehension in the minds of prohibitionists by promising stricter norms for issuing new bar licence to five-star hotels, the LDF has adopted an ambiguous stand on prohibition.

Unveiling the UDF election manifesto, Chief Minister Chandy said they will not grant bar licence if any four-star hotels tried to misuse the provision in the policy by upgrading them to five-star hotels. He also promised tougher provisions if the central government grants five-star status to new hotels coming up in the state.

The manifesto has promised a ‘liquor-free Kerala’ in 10 years. The policy change was prompted by a huge hue and cry over the government’s decision to grant bar licence to six new five star hotels in the midst of the election.

The LDF has tried to placate both the sections by adopting an ambiguous stand on the UDF policy in its poll manifesto. Though the manifesto has clearly described alcoholism as a big menace in Kerala, it does not propose to carry forward the UDF’s initiative to fight it by reducing availability of liquor.

Politbureau member Pinarayi Vijayan has said “What should be the liquor policy of the State has been clearly said in the LDF’s manifesto. The State needs abstinence, not prohibition.”