From left: CPM’s MV Govindan, Congress leader VD Satheesan and senior BJP leader K Surendran (File photo)
NEW DELHI: As Kerala heads toward another high-stakes assembly election, a controversial name has returned to the centre of a new political storm. Jamaat-e-Islami, long part of the state’s complex web of alliances and rivalries, is now the trigger for an escalating war of words between the CPM, the Congress and the BJP. What began as a debate over electoral support has quickly turned into a larger fight over secularism, minority politics and ideological credibility.The latest round of exchanges was triggered after Congress leader and the leader of the opposition VD Satheesan indicated that the UDF would accept support from Jamaat-e-Islami, asserting that the organisation had clarified it does not advocate a religion-based nation in India. That remark drew immediate criticism from both the CPM and the BJP, who accused the Congress of legitimising a group they describe as communal.Senior BJP leader K Surendran accused the Congress of closeness with Jamaat-e-Islami and alleged that the party was “whitewashing” communal forces. He went further, claiming that “sharia” would be implemented in Kerala if the Congress and the UDF came to power. “The Congress has now adopted a blatant communal stand by whitewashing terrorist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami,” Surendran said. The CPM, too, sharpened its attack. State secretary M V Govindan alleged that the Congress had adopted a position portraying Jamaat-e-Islami as a non-communal organisation and accused it of attempting to give the outfit a “good certificate”.Congress pushes backSatheesan rejected the allegations and accused the CPM of hypocrisy. He alleged that the Marxist party had itself benefited from Jamaat-e-Islami support in the past.“CPM is hypocritical. Until the parliamentary elections, they appeased minorities. Later, they appeased majority communities. Currently, there is confusion overall. They are in a state where they do not know what they are saying or doing. They are pretending to forget what they said in the past,” Satheesan said during the UDF’s Puthu Yuga Yatra in Kasaragod.He further claimed, “For 42 years, Jamaate-Islami was aligned with the CPM. Many times, individuals like Govindan and Pinarayi Vijayan were elected with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami. Clips of Pinarayi Vijayan’s speech justifying Jamaat-e-Islami and Deshabhimani’s editorial can be sent to Govindan. If his forgetfulness is deliberate, then nothing can be done.”Satheesan also argued that the opposition was unfairly being targeted for engaging with community organisations. “We do not interfere in the internal matters of any community organisations. Our wish is for everyone to walk together. It is not the opposition leader’s job to comment on any of this,” he said.Who is Jamaat-e-Islami in Kerala?In Kerala, references to Jamaat-e-Islami typically point to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a socio-religious organisation with an active presence in the state through educational institutions, social initiatives and community networks. Its political platform is the Welfare Party of India, which has contested elections and participated in local alliances.The organisation is not a dominant electoral force in Kerala but commands influence in certain regions, particularly in parts of northern districts. In a closely contested political landscape where margins can matter, even limited organisational backing can acquire significance.Jamaat-e-Islami has been in controversy several times for its ultra-conservative views. Only last month its leader Shaikh Muhammed Karakunnu said that no true believer who loves Prophet Muhammad can reject Islamic Republic.In a Facebook post titled ‘Would true believers reject Islamic Republic?’ posted on January 17, Karakunnu said Prophet was the founder of Islamic Republic, and its headquarters was Medina and it was established without shedding even a single drop of blood.The remarks came amid the CPM’s attack on Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing the organisation of subscribing to the ideology of establishing a theocratic nation. CPM leaders were quick to cite Karakunnu’s remarks as vindication of their stand.”The people of that land welcomed its leader with open arms, choosing him as their ruler. They even gave their land his name: Madinatun-Nabi (The City of the Prophet). It was an ideal-based, humanitarian and pluralistic nation. At that time, the Muslim population there was only 15%,” he said.A triangular contestKerala’s politics has traditionally been bipolar, with power alternating between the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led UDF. The BJP, despite a growing vote share, has struggled to translate support into seats. In this context, debates over minority outreach and ideological positioning carry both symbolic and electoral weight.For the CPM, attacking the Congress over Jamaat-e-Islami allows it to question the UDF’s secular credentials while attempting to consolidate its own base among both minority and majority voters. For the BJP, the issue provides an opportunity to frame the Congress and the Left as engaging in minority appeasement, a narrative it has consistently deployed in Kerala.The Congress, meanwhile, appears to be balancing objectives of reassuring minority voters that it remains open to their support, while countering charges that it is endorsing communal politics.The broader political calculusKerala has a significant Muslim population, and minority consolidation can influence outcomes in several constituencies. Historically, the Indian Union Muslim League has been the primary Muslim political force within the UDF. However, the presence of organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami adds layers to the competitive dynamic.The CPM has previously worked with various community organisations, and its leaders have often defended engagement as part of Kerala’s plural political culture. The Congress now argues that similar engagement cannot be selectively labelled communal.The BJP’s intervention introduces a national dimension, especially as it seeks to expand its footprint in a state where it has yet to break through decisively. By raising the spectre of “sharia” and accusing the Congress of legitimising extremist forces, it seeks to polarise the debate and position itself as the defender of secular governance.The controversy has also intersected with rival mass contact programmes. While the UDF is conducting its Puthu Yuga Yatra to present what it describes as a vision for Kerala’s future, the LDF is running the Vikasana Munnetta Jatha to highlight development initiatives under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.Each side has used the Jamaat-e-Islami debate to undercut the other’s campaign narrative. Satheesan has suggested that the CPM’s criticism stems from discomfort over the UDF’s electoral confidence, while CPM leaders argue that the Congress is attempting to normalise communal elements.At its core, the clash over Jamaat-e-Islami reflects deeper tensions in Kerala politics like how parties engage with community organisations, how secularism is defined in practice, and how minority support is negotiated in a competitive electoral field. Go to Source