By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Calicut: Jamat-e-Islami Kerala, which hasn’t yet made its stand on supporting any party, clear, will support the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the Kerala Assembly elections. Confirmed sources in the Jamat told TwoCircles.net that although it is yet to be official, the Jamat which has some following in certain Muslim clusters in Kerala will support LDF precisely because the Congress-led UDF is not keen on seeking its support. Within a day or two, the Kerala unit of Jamat is expected to publicly announce its stand on this issue. Ironically the Jamat sources also told TCN that it’s highly likely that the UDF gets the mandate to form government.
Importantly, reason for the Jamat’s support to LDF is entirely led by political compulsions. Top sources in Jamat told TCN that there is an immense amount of pressure from Muslim League, which enjoys stronghold in Muslim pockets, on its senior ally Congress, not to take Jamat’s support on board. The reason is completely political. Within a week or so, JIH is expected to announce the public launch of its much awaited political party. Muslim League, which till now has been the single biggest catcher and beneficiary of Muslim votes in Kerala, doesn’t want any other strong player in the state politics. It views Jamat’s party as a threat which might dilute League’s support base in the Muslims of the state.
Jamat-e-Islami Kerala office
TCN was also informed by the top sources in the Jamat that most of the LDF candidates have got Jamat’s support. During the last elections also the Jamat extended its support to the LDF.
Kerala has around 27 percent of Muslim population and Muslim League gets the lion’s share of Muslim votes. It is precisely because of its stronghold on Muslim concentrated assembly constituencies that in the state government the party gets 3 to 4 ministerial berths. Any threat to its privileged position is enough to give PK Kunjalikkutty sleepless nights.
It is precisely because of this hostility towards JIH that the League has paced up its attack on the Jamat, with its attempt to portray the Jamat as a “terrorist” organisation with no difference between JIH and the Popular Front of India (PFI). Almost every big ML leader mentions JIH as a terrorist group which has been radicalising Muslim youths. The Jamat also alleged a League sponsored sustained media witch hunt against the Jamat, attempting to highlight the organisation as an extremist and non-secular group.
Muslim League Office in Calicut
Strategically it is important for the Muslim League to do so because till now it is the only recognizable secular force in the Muslim politics. The peaceful secular Muslim masses still view other groups like PFI and its political affiliate SDPI as extremist and radical groups and that’s why a large chunk of Muslim masses still feel uncomfortable with the idea of supporting PFI and SDPI. This leaves the Muslim masses with no choice but to support the Muslim League as the only secular alternative. That is why the entrance of any other secular party might break the Muslim League’s self styled monopoly over secular Muslims.
The decision, also to a large extent, is expected to shape the way Muslim politics in the state is going to unfold itself because it will juxtapose Muslim League and Jamat’s Welfare Party as the two poles of Muslim politics in Kerala.