Representational imageMalappuram: It is official now. A party that garnered nearly 50,000 votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the Malappuram constituency and is missing from the fray now has come out with its stand vis-a-vis the polls.
The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political incarnation of the Popular Front of India (PFI), has urged its followers to cast a conscience vote.
While this literally means that the followers or activists can vote for the candidate of their choice, the undercurrents of such a statement need to be noted. Parties like the SDPI command bulk votes. In other words, these outfits have a firm grip over their activists. Political observers said these outfits, even if they come out with such statements, would have given clear instructions on casting the ballots.
The SDPI's moves were keenly watched by all political formations after the by-poll was announced. So, the SDPI emerged as the most talked-about outfit even though it mysteriously abstained from contesting.
UDF stance on SDPI
The United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, P.K. Kunhalikutty, stated unequivocally that he wouldn't like to ignore the vote of anyone. In other words, the SDPI's vote was welcome. He also said he did not subscribe to the view that the SDPI was a radical outfit.
Former chief minister Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala were of the opinion that the UDF needed votes from all those who were secular and anti-fascist.
It is not clear whether they consider the SDPI as belonging to that category, but the reluctance to publicly state that some votes were not welcome itself speaks about the UDF's stance.
LDF view
The CPM on its part sought refuge in words. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan charged that the IUML was trying to absorb the votes of the SDPI. Kodiyeri said it was the UDF government which denied SDPI's mouthpiece Tejas advertisements based on adverse central intelligence report. Kodiyeri also hinted that the SDPI had been won over by the IUML, 'going by the way reports are appearing in Tejas.'
Kodiyeri sought to know if IUML leader and former minister M.K. Munner, who had long ago publicly stated that the IUML does not need the votes of the SDPI, still held the view.
The SDPI stand...
The SDPI on Thursday came out with its stand not to back any political formation in the upcoming by-poll, but failed to put to rest talk about which way the 47,853 votes it polled last time would sway.
SDPI state president Abdul Majeed Faizi told Onmanorama that 'no such situation existed which warranted the party to support anyone in Malappuram.' Both the fronts do not deserve special backing by the SDPI and hence the party has called for a conscience vote. Interestingly, Abdul Majeed Faizi had contested against Kunhalikutty in Vengara in the 2011 assembly polls, securing 4683 votes.
Though an official statement has blamed both the Congress and the CPM, a closer look at it perhaps can give us a clear idea of the party's trajectory.
Though it has blamed both the parties on various counts and described these parties as birds of the same feather, the language it used against the CPM in its statement announcing its stand vis-a-vis the bypoll is clearly harsher against the CPM.
At one instance, it has also charged that it was a fact that the BJP was using the CPM's violent politics as a fuel for its growth. Over to the benign conscience of the SDPI voters.
