It looks like the renewed attempt of BJP to reach out to minority communities in Kerala is causing the emergence of another ideological rift in the party. After the continuous failure of BJP at the polling stations, some members of BJP in Kerala are said to be in doubt about the possibility of success through minority outreach, which reflects the problem whether a party that is known to be majoritarian in politics can extend its social base without reconsidering its ideology.
Since long, Kerala has been considered to be one of the most challenging environments for the BJP in terms of politics. Due to such characteristics of Kerala as secularism, social pluralism and coalition politics, the party faces difficulties in applying the same tactics as it does in other states.
This is especially so with regard to the internal criticism regarding the failure of the outreach process on account of the lack of quick benefits for the party through electoral gains. It casts doubt whether the program has been undertaken as a principle or as a political exercise. The community cannot be looked upon as a vote bank only when there are elections.
The BJP’s political problem in Kerala is also an indication that electoral success cannot be engineered simply through propaganda exercises. Voters in Kerala have consistently shown that identity, development, social justice, and federal issues are equally important besides national politics. Failure by the BJP to position itself as a dominant political force after years of campaigning clearly indicates that its ideology is still struggling to gain acceptance in the state.
Instead of dealing with these inconsistencies, the BJP stands to make minority appeasement yet another conflict within its own ranks. For the BJP’s approach in Kerala, the question of credibility looms large. Is the party truly ready to accept pluralism in Kerala, or is this just an election ploy that will be done away with after the polls are over?
