Mission Kerala: What’s driving CPI(M)'s push on Bengaluru demolitions?

Pinarayi Vijayan

• CPI(M) Kerala criticizes Congress for Bengaluru demolitions impacting Muslim homes
• Kerala CM Vijayan and Karnataka's Shivakumar clash over demolition criticism
• CPI(M) aims to regain minority support after electoral setbacks in Kerala

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Taking cue from the basic political maxim - 'no political event should be viewed in isolation', the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala has reportedly launched an aggressive political campaign against the Congress over recent demolition drives in Bengaluru, where a large where a large number of the affected homes reportedly belong to Muslims.

The campaign gained momentum after chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan publicly criticised the demolitions, following which several senior CPI(M) leaders and party sympathisers began amplifying the issue on social media and other public platforms. Following this criticism, a war of words has erupted between Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan.

Addressing the media in Bengaluru, Shivakumar called Vijayan’s comments “unfortunate” and politically misleading, urging senior leaders to avoid making sweeping accusations without understanding the ground reality in another state.

Need for renewed focus on minorities?

A prominent publication, quoting CPI(M) sources reasoned that the renewed focus on minorities comes in the backdrop of electoral setbacks. The party leadership has assessed that a significant section of Left sympathisers from the Muslim community had shifted to the UDF in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the local body polls, indicating that the party’s minority outreach “hasn’t worked well this time.” The publication, citing sources further pointed to growing unease among Muslim communities over Pinarayi Vijayan not condemning SNDP leader Vellappally Natesan’s anti-Muslim remarks, sharing the stage with him, and publicly praising him.

The CPI(M)’s campaign against the Karnataka government's demolition drive seeks to undermine the Congress' standing among Muslims in Kerala, which arguably contributed significantly to the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s good showing in the local body polls.

Possible consolidation of Muslim votes?

Immediately after the poor show in the recently held Kerala local body polls, leaders, during a two-day stock-taking event reasoned that the consolidation of Muslim votes in Malabar and the Christian voters’ affinity for the UDF in central Kerala were also cited as crucial factors that led to the grouping poor show in the state.

Leaders criticised the leadership’s ‘soft stand’ on SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, despite his controversial anti-Muslim rhetoric, which they said contributed to the complete alienation of the Muslim community. While the leadership argued that minorities, who had earlier supported the LDF, continued to stand with the front, many urged the party to examine why the government’s development achievement failed to resonate with the electorate.

Karnataka government on demolition drive

The demolition drive was carried out by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) on December 20. The exercise reportedly displaced nearly 400 families during one of the coldest weeks the city has experienced in recent years. The officials said the structures had come up illegally on five acres of government land and were removed as part of an encroachment-clearance initiative.

Residents countered that they were evicted without notice and under heavy police deployment, forcing families, many of whom claimed to have lived there for decades, to sleep in makeshift roadside shelters. Several cited Aadhaar cards and electricity bills to assert long-term residence.