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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Minorities are backing UDF again. Will it break LDF’s streak in Kerala?

The biggest setback for Congress was the exit of K Karunakaran and his faction in 2005. Many of his erstwhile cadres ended up becoming foot soldiers for the BJP.

Congress has not had a convincing victory in the Kerala Assembly elections since 2001.

There was a narrow win in 2011, the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s last win in the state. But the Congress, leading the UDF, won seven seats fewer than the Communist Party of India (Marxist), leading the Left Democratic Front (LDF). And that’s not counting the two CPI(M)-backed independents who won from Kunnamangalam and Thavanur.

Multiple theories have been put forward about the sorry plight of the Congress in Kerala’s Assembly elections ever since. All while the UDF has consistently done well in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

So, what explains this phenomenon?

It is a combination of factors. And it is unlikely to be due to the 2008 delimitation of constituencies, as most people believe.

Also read: In LDF’s Kerala manifesto, jobs, poverty eradication & pledge to address human-wildlife conflict

The biggest setback was the exit of K Karunakaran and his faction in 2005. During the multiple splits undergone by the Congress in 1964, 1969 and 1978, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and K Karunakaran were constants.

Karunakaran came to the Congress through the INTUC, and his faction was known to function like a cadre-driven unit, whereas the AK Antony faction that emerged following the 1969 split was renowned for resorting to public relations (PR) tactics even back in the day.

Karunakaran was fiercely anti-Sangh Parivar, and his exit coincided with the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in national politics.

He never entertained thoughts of allying with the BJP, even when the CPI(M) refused an alliance in 2006 after initially courting him. But many of his erstwhile cadres ended up becoming foot soldiers for the........

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