Ending his protracted break from the political mainstream, P. C. George, the firebrand leader with a knack for colourful demagoguery and a track record of political flip-flops, has opened talks to merge his party, the Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) [KJ(S)], with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mr. George, a seven-time member of the Kerala Assembly and United Democratic Front (UDF) Chief Whip in the Oommen Chandy government, confirmed that his party was in discussions with the BJP’s national leadership.
Mr. George’s relationship with the UDF ended in 2015 following disputes with Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani. However, he returned to the Assembly in 2016 as an Independent MLA from the Poonjar constituency.
Mr. George’s relationship with the first Pinarayi Vijayan government soured after he purportedly felt cold-shouldered by the ruling front.
With his hopes to return to the UDF dimming, Mr. George slowly drifted to the right. He spoke against the Left Democratic Front’s alleged move to violate Sabarimala traditions. He took a markedly right-wing position and appeared to endorse the BJP’s position in television debates.
His gravitation to the right incrementally gained momentum with the State government jailing Mr. George for allegedly spewing hate at the high-profile Ananthapuri Hindu Mahasammelanam in 2022.
Mr. George now hopes to end his political exile by seeking to ride on the crest of a perceived Prime Minister Narendra Modi wave in Kerala.
“India has never had a Prime Minister as talented [as Modi] before this, and the party cadre is united in their opinion to extend support to the BJP,” Mr. George said. He hoped the unification will manifest ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Christian face
Mr. George’s willingness to close ranks with the BJP has arguably been a political windfall for the BJP. The party has been eagerly courting Christian votes in Central and North Kerala. The BJP reportedly felt that its search for a high-profile Christian face for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Kerala has reached a fruitful end. The BJP, intent on placing Mr. George at the vanguard of its Christian outreach, hopes to gain a toehold in the electorally influential minority community ahead of the polls.
Mr. George remained ambivalent about whether he would contest the Lok Sabha elections from Pathanamthitta or Kottayam on the BJP ticket.
It might be challenging for Mr. George at the hustings. His contentious remarks have arguably alienated him from the Muslim and other backward-class communities. The purported estrangement of the powerful groups cost him the Poonjar seat in the 2021 Assembly elections despite the tacit support reportedly extended by the BJP.
