SHIFTING EZHAVA GOALS

SNDP chief Natesan's editorial praised CM Pinarayi Vijayan and the Left...and blasted the Congress and ally BJP for their 'pathetic' treatment of Ezhavas

- By Jeemon Jacob

The Ezhavas in Kerala are an unhappy lot. The politically active Other Backward Class community makes up 23 per cent of the population, but say they are being marginalised in the state. Traditionally part of the Communist voter base, Ezhava loyalties are now divided after their social organisation, the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) yogam, floated a political outfit, the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), in 2015 and tied their political fortunes to that of the BJPled National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state. Having failed to make the expected gains, the Ezhava vote is now split across Kerala's three political fronts-the Left, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the NDA.