Subtle fissures are emerging in the electoral understanding between the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the poll picture gaining clarity.
The BJP has not parted with even a bare 20 per cent of seats for the SNDP nominees while it has upped the share of party nominees and allies in the contest from about 8,000 wards in earlier elections, to nearly 20,000 this time.
The tenuous understanding is to be confined to regions where the Yogam leadership claims to enjoy considerable influence. The BJP has chosen to field its own candidates contesting on the party symbol hoping to wrest the maximum number of seats, in most of the rural and urban local bodies.
The party, under the strict guidance of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has struck agreements at its own terms. It seeks to highlight similar pacts that it already has with other community organisations such as the Vishwakarma Sabha and Vaikunta Swamy Dharma Pracharanasabha (VSDP), wherever such groups have some clout. Clearly, it has taken all due care to allay inhibitions of other communities while getting into the tie-up with the Yogam.
This, sources assert, was to make it plainly obvious that the pact with the Yogam will hold only until the local bodies’ election. Its future would be decided only after assessing the poll outcome.
By carefully choosing to maintain a healthy distance with the Yogam leadership, the BJP has ensured that the onus for clearing the air on the allegations being raised against them does not end up smirching the party. This change in attitude within such a short span of time after all the celebratory chest thumping has reportedly made the Yogam sceptical about its ties. But both partners have resolved to paper over things till the local bodies poll is through.
The Yogam leadership’s bid to project itself as the mover of the third front has prompted rival factions of the BJP led by its State president V. Muraleedharan and P.K. Krishnadas to close ranks at least for the time being. Sources say they are more keen on scuttling former State organisational secretary P.P. Mukundan’s bid to turn active in the State BJP politics once again.
Party wants to make it clear that pact with the Yogam will hold only until the local bodies’ poll.
