The 86-year-old is an influential leader of the state, especially among the prominent Ezhava community in the south and central parts of Kerala. File pic/PTI
In an exclusive interview with News18 Kerala, Vellappally Natesan said the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections is unpredictable but the opposition INDIA bloc will not rule India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered better governance in the country and earned the trust of the people, said Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam. In an exclusive interview with News18 Kerala in his hometown Cherthala in Alappuzha district, he added that the Ayodhya Ram temple is set to make a big impact among the masses and there is no point ridiculing the Bharatiya Janata Party for making a sweeping change across India with its “Jai Shree Ram” chants.
Vellappally Natesan heads the 121-year-old social service organisation envisaged to promote the teachings of social reformer and spiritual leader Sree Narayana Guru. The 86-year-old is an influential leader of the state, especially among the prominent Ezhava community in the south and central parts.
He said the outcome of the election is unpredictable but the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc will not rule India. “INDI Alliance may improve its position,” he said. However, it will not reach a position to rule the country as the alliance is not yet complete, he argued.
According to Vellappally Natesan, the Citizenship Amendment Act is good. “In Kerala, the Citizenship Amendment Act will not be reflected in the elections. The north Indian situation does not exist in south India,” he said.
His wife Preethi Natesan had inaugurated the election committee office of BJP candidate Sobha Surendran in Alappuzha. Vellappally, who called his wife a “Modi bhakt”, downplayed the inauguration ceremony and said she went there without proper knowledge of the function. “Everyone has different political views at home,” he said.
His son Thushar Vellappally, leader of Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a partner of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is a candidate from the Kottayam Lok Sabha seat.
However, Vellappally Natesan asserted that the SNDP has a neutral stand in the ongoing elections. “SNDP has no political stand in the parliamentary elections. Members of all political parties are present in SNDP. As far as Kerala is concerned, there is no need to take a political stand. The community (in total) will not decide who to vote for. The need to take a political stand has not come up in the SNDP council either. Everyone can take a stand according to their politics,” he stated.
According to him, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) may benefit from the triangular contest in Kerala. “LDF will get the benefit of the triangular fight. The inability of the government to pay the welfare pension and kit has certainly created antagonism against the government. Hence there is a feeling of an anti-incumbency factor against the state government. However, it may not convert into votes and hurt the LDF, according to previous experiences. It may not make a dent in the core Left votes. But it is doubtful whether LDF will get the old majority in many places,” he said.
He termed chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s stand on PM Modi, which invited criticism from Congress, a “tactic”. “It is the chief minister’s policy not to criticise Modi. Pinarayi Vijayan is the chief minister of Kerala, not the secretary of the party. There is nothing wrong in adopting the tactics for the good of the administration. The chief minister is conscious that the state will need central assistance. The party secretary can say anything about Modi. However, the chief minister has limitations,” Vellappally said.
He said there is a fierce triangular contest in Alappuzha where the ruling CPI(M)’s lone Lok Sabha lawmaker from Kerala AM Ariff is pitted against Congress heavyweight KC Venugopal. Vellappally Natesan said BJP candidate Sobha Surendran will get more votes from the Congress-led United Democratic Front. “Sobha Surendran is an Ezhava candidate. It will benefit Sobha if you tell me about her relationship with me,” he said.
He said now Thiruvananthapuram has a new look with the arrival of union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and there is a strong triangular fight.
Unpleasant truths are not to be told in the middle of an election, he said in reply to a question on the Thrissur seat. “It will be made public only after the election. Many people will dislike telling the truth. Hence it is better not to tell unpleasant truths,” said Vellappally whose blunt statements stirred up many controversies in the past three decades.
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