Kerala CM’s Image-Building Exercise Goes Awry, Muslim Voters Upset

Looks like Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s efforts to build himself up via media interviews have landed him in a political soup. Eager to build himself up in the national media, the Kerala leader got a PR agency to arrange for media interactions. Unlike the state run PR department, enthusiastic private PR, not only arranged for media interview but also seem to have got a reputed South publication to attribute a few lines to the CM about how “seizure of 150 kg of gold and Rs 123 crore of hawala money by the state police” in the last five years were made from Malappuram. Reference to Malappuram, with its overwhelming minority population, was enough to lead to sparring between the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). UDF alleged that Vijayan was insulting the residents of Malappuram by referring to seizures. The CM’s Office denied making any reference to Malappuram. While CM may be technically correct, the newspaper denial gave away how PR agents were present during the interview. Vijayan now denies using even a PR. His political detractors are quick to point out that the CM was targeting PV Anvar, a MLA, who was recently expelled from the CPM Legislative Party after he unleashed sharp allegations against Vijayan and his Political Secretary P Sasi. CPI(M)considers the Opposition’s attacks as a fabricated move to diminish its  growing popularity among minorities in the wake of the LDF government’s “uncompromising stand” on a number of pro-Muslim issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act and  Wakf Amendment Bill 2024. Meanwhile, PA Mohammed Riyas, Kerala minister, and son-in-law of Pinarayi said that Jamaat-e-Islaami and SDPI are the ‘sleeping partners’ of UDF.