Jamat-e-Islami to support Left front in Kerala elections

    JIH entry into politics threatens Muslim League position in Kerala politics
    By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net

    Calicut: Jamat-e-Islami Kerala, which hasn’t yet made clear its stand on supporting any party will support CPI led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the Kerala Assembly elections. Confirmed sources in Jamat told TwoCircles.net that although it’s yet to be official yet but Jamat which holds a substantial following among Malayali Muslims, 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 its highly likely that the UDF gets the mandate to form elections.




    Jamaat-e-Islami in Kerala run many organizations.

    Importantly, reasons 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 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, given the Jamat’s support among Kerala Muslim, might dilute League’s support base in the Muslims of the state.

    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 iss precisely because of its stronghold on Muslim concentrated assembly constituencies that in the state government the party gets, 3 to 4 ministerial births. Any threat to its privileged position is enough to give P Kunalinankutty, 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 accusing them of radicalising Muslim youths. Jamat, on its part, blame League for sponsoring a sustained media witch hunt against the Jamat, attempting to highlight the organisation as an extremist and non-secular group.




    League House: Muslim League headquarter in Kerala.

    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 large section of Muslim masses still feel uncomfortable with the idea of supporting PFI and SDPI. This leaves the Muslim voters with no choice but to support Muslim League as the only secular alternative. That’s why 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.