‘Opportunism’ is the mantra of BDJS, Vellapally no showstopper for BJP

8 years ago

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Having abruptly distanced from BJP, general secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) Vellapally Nateshan has certainly eyed a better prospective for his nascent political iniative- Bharatiya Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS).

Though Nateshan openly dubs his sudden change of mind as ‘opportunistic politics’ for tapping the potential of opportunities before BDJS at present, his withdrawal from seat sharing talks of BJP hinted his displeasure. Primarily, he was disgruntled by BJP which offered BDJS only 25 out 140 seats in the upcoming state polls.

BJP not in the receiving end

Having made a better pitch in the last local body elections, BJP does not have much to lose this time without BDJS and the BJP leadership seems determined to face the election without much regrets.

Additionally, the party has secured allegiance of another caste organisation Kerala Pulaya Maha Sabha (KPMS). Votes from Pulaya caste roughly constitute eight percent of the total votes in Kerala. Apart from these, BJP insiders claim that Kerala Congress (Mani) has also expressed interest to join an alliance led by BJP in Kerala.

President of BJP’s Kerala unit, Kummanam Rajashekaran who is relatively soft spoken when compared with other hardliners in RSS’s national cadres will also be contesting the state election from Nemom legislative constituency in Thiruvananthapuram.

BJP’s move to field its prominent leaders such as P K Krishna Das, V Muraleedharan, V V Rajesh in Thiruvananthapuram and Surendran in Manjeswaram would certainly have an impact on the vote bank politics that has been typical of Kerala.

Vellapally’s opportunism

It could be perceived that increased prospects of LDF coming to power post assembly elections has also prompted Nateshan’s turnaround from BJP. The SNDP supremo held secret meetings with both Congress and CPM in order to assess an expected benefit for his party.

Apparently, conflict of interests within the state unit of BJP was also considered detrimental to BDJS by the SNDP leadership. However, Nateshan who admits of convening meetings ‘political parties’, says that BDJS does not consider any party as ‘political untouchable’.

“We held talks with all political fronts, including BJP, the Left opposition led by CPI(M) and the Congress-led UDF. What we are going to do is to follow the principles of opportunistic politics. None of the political fronts are untouchables for us,” he said in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

In a brilliant counter to Nateshan’s claims, CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan played it well by demanding Nateshan to make public the name of CPI(M) leader who held talks with him for negotiating alliance.

Meanwhile CPM and Congress leadership in the state rejected the claims of having any discussions with BDJS.

In a most recent event, Thushar Vellapally who is supposedly the president of BDJS party, has put in efforts to cover up embarrassments that followed kicks in teeth from CPM and Congress. Contradicting his father’s claims, Thushar refused to accept that BDJS had held talks with CPM or Congress for forging pre-poll alliance.

Nevertheless, it should be also noted that UDF and LDF which till a few months back tended to ostracize Nateshan, now are somehow restraining from launching attacks on him.

Perhaps an overtly dangerous electoral challenge posed by SNDP’s influence on one of the most prominent vote banks in the state has become a reason for the fronts to go soft on Nateshan.

Danger signs were quite conspicuous after the last local body elections when BJP, hand in gloves with BDJS, achieved an upper hand as to become kingmakers in at least few local body institutions.

Standing single, Thushar Vellapally claims that the party is likely to contest in five percent of seats in the upcoming elections.