Kerala polls 2026: War impact rises, but parties stay silent
Kerala is going to the polling booths against the backdrop of another war in the Middle East. However, the political parties are reluctant to focus on the consequences of this conflict unlike what they did during the Gulf war in 1991.
This is despite the fact that the consequences of the latest war are being felt in much wider dimensions. It has crippled the fuel supply, apart from raising serious questions about the safety and security of millions of Keralites in several nations and not just in Kuwait, as was the case largely in 1991.
CPM’s EMS Namboothiripad had made the Gulf war a major campaign focus during the district council elections in 1991, with his captivating slogan, “We are with Saddam (Hussein), are you?”. Many voters in Kerala would now be surprised how a war happening thousands of kilometres away had become an election issue in Kerala.
Some CPM insiders had then raised doubts on the benefits of making the pro-Saddam tagline as the campaign focus. Their main worry was whether the thousands of Keralites in Kuwait and their near and dear back home will turn hostile to the CPM.
However, EMS stuck to his stand and said the anti-imperialist (antiUS) mindset is very strong in Kerala and a pro-Saddam stand will definitely bring in electoral dividends. In fact, it did. LDF won 13 out of the 14 district councils in Kerala in 1991. The pro-Saddam postures had played an important role in this landslide victory, at least in north Kerala.
However, experts like former chief secretary S M Vijayanand argue that an anti-US stance was not the sole reason for LDF’s sweeping victory. “The govt in power then (led by E K Nayanar) had a clean image and was very popular, and this had contributed significantly to the LDF victory, at least in southern districts,” Vijayanand said.
But notwithstanding the critical impact that the situation in the Middle East can have on the political climate of the remittance-dependent Kerala, the leaders of the mainstream parties appear scared to make the US-Israel attack on Iran a campaign issue this time.
The current war presents a complex scenario after Iran started attacking most of the GCC countries where millions of Keralites are working. Taking a vehement proIran stand, may turn at least some of the migrant Malayali workers in the Gulf, against those political parties.
Experts argue that some internal changes in Kerala are also restraining the parties from taking an aggressive stand. “Like elsewhere, the rising middle class sections in Kerala have no qualms to publicly air their support to Israel or even to the US. The anti-imperialist trend in Kerala has drastically waned now compared to 1991.
There is a significant shift happening in the politics of Kerala towards the Right and the BJP is able to muster at least 15% votes in the state. Parties engaged in electoral politics seem to be devising strategies to reconcile with these changes rather than confronting, and are choosing to sideline war from the poll debates,” said a Left thinker.
This is despite the fact that the consequences of the latest war are being felt in much wider dimensions. It has crippled the fuel supply, apart from raising serious questions about the safety and security of millions of Keralites in several nations and not just in Kuwait, as was the case largely in 1991.
CPM’s EMS Namboothiripad had made the Gulf war a major campaign focus during the district council elections in 1991, with his captivating slogan, “We are with Saddam (Hussein), are you?”. Many voters in Kerala would now be surprised how a war happening thousands of kilometres away had become an election issue in Kerala.
Some CPM insiders had then raised doubts on the benefits of making the pro-Saddam tagline as the campaign focus. Their main worry was whether the thousands of Keralites in Kuwait and their near and dear back home will turn hostile to the CPM.
However, EMS stuck to his stand and said the anti-imperialist (antiUS) mindset is very strong in Kerala and a pro-Saddam stand will definitely bring in electoral dividends. In fact, it did. LDF won 13 out of the 14 district councils in Kerala in 1991. The pro-Saddam postures had played an important role in this landslide victory, at least in north Kerala.
However, experts like former chief secretary S M Vijayanand argue that an anti-US stance was not the sole reason for LDF’s sweeping victory. “The govt in power then (led by E K Nayanar) had a clean image and was very popular, and this had contributed significantly to the LDF victory, at least in southern districts,” Vijayanand said.
But notwithstanding the critical impact that the situation in the Middle East can have on the political climate of the remittance-dependent Kerala, the leaders of the mainstream parties appear scared to make the US-Israel attack on Iran a campaign issue this time.
The current war presents a complex scenario after Iran started attacking most of the GCC countries where millions of Keralites are working. Taking a vehement proIran stand, may turn at least some of the migrant Malayali workers in the Gulf, against those political parties.
Experts argue that some internal changes in Kerala are also restraining the parties from taking an aggressive stand. “Like elsewhere, the rising middle class sections in Kerala have no qualms to publicly air their support to Israel or even to the US. The anti-imperialist trend in Kerala has drastically waned now compared to 1991.
There is a significant shift happening in the politics of Kerala towards the Right and the BJP is able to muster at least 15% votes in the state. Parties engaged in electoral politics seem to be devising strategies to reconcile with these changes rather than confronting, and are choosing to sideline war from the poll debates,” said a Left thinker.
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