Come every election, rival political fronts in Kerala raise the bogey of “anthardhara”, a euphemism for a secret understanding between parties, leading to cross-voting by the cadre or sympathisers for various candidates. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls are no different.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has accused the CPI(M) of entering into a secret tie-up with the BJP to help Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates in some seats. According to Congress leaders, pro-BJP votes in the Vadakara segment are likely to go in favour of LDF candidate K.K. Shailaja, who is pitted against the UDF’s Shafi Parambil. In return, the Congress alleges, pro-Left votes will be cast in favour of actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, NDA candidate from Thrissur.
It is no secret that cross-voting happens during elections, but there have also been instances of alleged “tie-ups” between various parties. The reported withdrawal of a Bharatiya Jan Sangh candidate from the Pattambi constituency against the late E.M.S. Namboodiripad in the 1960 Assembly election led to allegations about an “understanding” between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Congress.
In the 1965 Assembly polls, it was rumoured that the then newly formed CPI(M) had a “tie-up” with the Indian Union Muslim League in some segments. In the 1991 general elections, the BJP did not have a candidate in the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat and the UDF did not have one in the Beypore Assembly seat, which was later dubbed as a “Congress-League-BJP alliance” or “Ko-Li-Bi” pact. Disgruntled Congress supporters of the late K. Karunakaran played a major role in the victory of the LDF candidate in the 2003 Lok Sabha bypoll in Ernakulam, and the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), the breakaway party founded by Karunakaran, actively supported the LDF in the Lok Sabha bypoll in Thiruvananthapuram and the local body polls in 2005.
