Congress Is Confronting a New Reality in Kerala — Anto Antony's Pulwama Remark Reflects It

Pathanamthitta Congress candidate Anto Antony's remarks suggesting that Pakistan did not have a role in the Pulwama terror attack, in which India lost 40 CRPF personnel, have come under strong criticism, especially from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its candidate Anil Antony, Congress veteran and Former Defence Minister AK Antony's son.

What could be the reason for a Congress candidate to bring up the issue during elections and give a 'clean chit' to Pakistan, one may ask?

Anto Antony alleged that the BJP used the sacrifice of the CRPF personnel during the 2019 elections and was planning to do something similar this time by notifying the rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) just before the elections.

While raising questions over the Pulwama attack isn't new to Congress, this case is different because it reflects the new reality the party is facing on the ground.

Political observers say that both the Congress and Anto Antony have realised that there is now a three-way division of the Christian vote, both in Pathanamthitta and elsewhere because of BJP's aggressive outreach and the decision of the Kerala Congress (Mani) to join the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

In the Pathanamthitta district itself, 47 Christian families along with a diocese secretary, joined the BJP in December 2023.

Following that, in January 2024, P C George, who was earlier associated with several Kerala Congress factions that mainly have Christians as their support base, merged his party, the Kerala Janapaksham (Secular), with the BJP.

George had represented the Poonjar Assembly seat, which is part of the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency, for a long time.

This puts the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in a difficult position, as it can no longer take its traditional Christian vote bank for granted, and thus has to rely more on Muslim votes for its victory, both in Pathanamthitta and the rest of the state.

The statement could have been made as a signal to the state's Muslims that the Congress is behind them, notwithstanding the left's outreach to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and other Muslim outfits or its opposition to the CAA.

For the Congress, which has been experiencing electoral setbacks across the country, Kerala holds significant importance in securing a substantial number of MPs in Parliament.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kerala emerged as a crucial state for the Congress, yielding the highest number of MPs for the party. This underscores Kerala's importance for the Congress. As Anto Antony's remark indicates, the party appears willing to go to great lengths to appease its minority vote bank in Kerala.

Also Read: How BJP's Outreach To Christian Community In Kerala Is Upsetting Entrenched Assumptions