Under pressure, SDPI exits Manjeshwar election; Konkani Catholic candidate refuses to back out

Kasaragod: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) on Thursday withdrew its candidate from the high-stakes Manjeshwar Assembly constituency after sustained pressure from the United Democratic Front (UDF) and community organisations over fears of a minority vote split. However, Konkani Catholic candidate Gean Lavina Monteiro refused to withdraw her nomination, defying similar pressure from within her community and the clergy.

Thursday morning, the SDPI district committee met in Uppala near Manjeshwar to discuss whether to pull out of the election. By afternoon, the decision was made, and its candidate, Ashraf K M (44), a member of the party’s district committee, was not happy about it, but he withdrew his nomination papers.

The party had initially dug in its heels despite mounting criticism, with a high-level meeting in Kannur reportedly deciding against withdrawal. The SDPI said it entered the fray because the Muslim League was using its influence to edge out the party on the ground, and the Congress, particularly, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, ridiculed the party and even took punitive action against a party leader who became panchayat president with its support in Thrissur.

But relentless pressure, from sections within the UDF, Muslim organisations, and clerical leadership, appears to have forced a rethink at the last minute.

Ashraf’s candidature had triggered immediate controversy because of the similarity of his name to that of the sitting MLA and UDF candidate A K M Ashraf of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Allegations also surfaced that he had earlier contested local body polls under the name Ashraf Badaje, fuelling claims that the SDPI deliberately fielded him to confuse voters and split votes.

In a constituency known for wafer-thin margins, 89 votes in 2016 and 745 votes in 2021 -- both times against BJP leader K Surendran -- even a small shift was seen as critical. This time, too, the fight is between A K M Ashraf and Surendran, with LDF candidate K R Jayananda also in the fray.

With the SDPI claiming a support base of 6,000 to 7,000 votes, its presence had raised the prospect of a decisive split in a triangular contest.

Organisations such as the Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF) had openly demanded withdrawal, terming the move “highly suspicious” and warning that fragmenting the “secular vote” would directly benefit the BJP. Senior Samastha leader Nazar Faizi Koodathai had also cautioned against any division that could tilt the balance.

SDPI candidate Ashraf, who dabbles in real estate business in the UAE, said he has resigned from all his responsibilities in the party, including his district committee membership. He said the decision was taken in solidarity with his supporters, who had expected him to remain in the fray.

SDPI state secretary Ansari Enathu said the Muslim League leadership, which has long kept the party at arm’s length, has now been forced to indirectly acknowledge that SDPI votes are secular in nature. “They have also had to admit that they cannot win if the SDPI contests,” he said.

He pointed out that months ago, the SDPI state president had announced the party’s willingness to support a common candidate in constituencies such as Manjeshwar, where the BJP had a realistic chance of winning. It was also made clear that, if such an understanding did not materialise, the SDPI would field its own candidate.

Ansari said the developments of recent days have laid bare the political hypocrisy of these parties, which repeatedly invoke the fear of the BJP to consolidate votes. “These parties have failed to ideologically challenge the BJP’s polarisation politics and are now lecturing the SDPI,” he said.

The SDPI’s exit is expected to ease concerns in the UDF camp. In contrast, Gean Lavina Monteiro (55), the Manjeshwar panchayat president in the 2020-2025 term, has chosen to stay in the fray despite similar pressure tactics. Initially backed by the Konkani Catholic Association, she said she was urged to withdraw by both community members and church authorities.

Muslim League leaders spoke to Fr Basil Vas, the priest of Sacred Heart Church, Vorkady, she said. “Fr Basil Vasso asked me to withdraw. But I won’t. We have some self-respect,” she said. “I know I won’t get many votes. But I was asked to file the nomination for a reason, and that reason still exists.”

The community is fighting for inclusion in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list as Latin Catholics, which would entitle them to a 4% reservation in state jobs and educational institutions.

“The 16 parishes in Kasaragod and Manjeshwar under the Diocese of Mangalore follow the Latin rites. Earlier, we were under the Archdiocese of Verapoly, one of the principal Latin Catholic centres. Yet successive governments, whether UDF or LDF, have denied us the benefits given to Latin Catholics,” said Stany Lobo, secretary of the Konkani Latin Christian Association.

With around 7,000 Konkani Latin Catholics in Manjeshwar, a significant bloc in a tightly fought constituency, their political choices carry weight. Traditionally aligned with the UDF, the community now finds itself divided. Community leaders have distanced themselves from Monteiro. In 2020, she contested as an independent candidate, backed by the UDF, from Guddekeri ward, a Christian-dominated ward. After the elections, as the Manjeshwar panchayat threw up a hung board, she took the support of the LDF and the BJP to become the president.

Another recurring presence in the constituency, John D’Souza, a Konkani Catholic, has contested multiple times -- in 2016, the 2019 bypoll, and 2021-- but with limited electoral impact. He secured 207 votes in 2016, 277 in 2019, and 181 in 2021.