Kerala: BJP wins Christian votes in Munambam
The Hindu nationalist candidate defeated the left-wing candidate in local elections in a town at the centre of a dispute over ownership of 400 acres of land pitting the Waqf against some 500 Christian families. Modi's party also won in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, for the first time, although Indian National Congress came out on top in the southern Indian state.
Kochi (AsiaNews) – Recent local elections in the southern Indian state of Kerala were seen as an important test ahead of elections to the local legislative assembly, set four months from now, in a context heavily invested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
The overall picture emerging from the poll saw the weakening of the left-wing alliance led by the outgoing ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in favour of the centrist coalition led by the Indian National Congress (INC).
The BJP, however, was able to claim a historic victory in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, wresting it from left-wing forces after 45 years.
Particularly significant is the BJP's resounding victory in Munambam, an area at the centre of a long-running dispute over the ownership of more than 400 acres of land between 500 Christian families and the local Waqf, the state administration of Muslim properties.
In the local constituency, BJP candidate Kunjimon Augustine received 582 votes, defeating the left-wing candidate, Rocky Binoy, by a margin of 31 votes.
Munamban is located in Ernakulam, a district in the heart of the Syro-Malabar community. The affected families, united under the banner of the Munambam Land Protection Council, have been protesting for more than 400 days, fearing eviction.
They demanded the restoration of their land and tax rights on their properties, after the government stopped collecting land tax from families living on the disputed land.
The issue gained national attention earlier this year when the central government passed the Waqf Amendment Bill, a law expanding the government’s role in regulating Muslim property.
Initially, the families decided to boycott the local elections, but later took part in the process.
Last October, the Kerala High Court ruled that the disputed land in Munambam is not Waqf land, as claimed by the Kerala State Waqf Board.
As a result, the state government resumed collecting land tax from residents of the disputed lands. In turn, protesters involved in a year-long rotating hunger strike stopped their action.
Nevertheless, the BJP continues its protests, arguing that the High Court ruling alone cannot resolve the issue. Meanwhile, only a few days ago, the Supreme Court paused the High Court ruling, reimposing the status quo in the dispute.
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07/02/2019 17:28
