Cong under siege as NSS aligns with LDF

NSS decision to back govt's Ayyappa Sangamam is seen as a warning to Cong over indifference to Sabarimala issue

- HD Bureau

The Congress faces mounting pressure as the Nair Service Society signals a political shift, lending tacit support to the Left Democratic Front on the Sabarimala issue—an alignment many see as undermining Congress's appeal among Ayyappa devotees. A faction within the party is urging top leadership to correct course and reengage with faith-based groups by emulating the Global Ayyappa Sangamam format. UDF sources say the NSS’s decision to back the ‘Agola Ayyappa Sangamam is seen as a rebuke of Congress's prior distancing on Sabarimala matters.

The party’s internal critics argue that the CPM has repaired its image among religious constituencies by securing endorsements from the NSS and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripala Yogam. To counteract, some Congress insiders propose organising a parallel Ayyappa gathering to reclaim lost ground.