By ManuAiyappa Kanathanda
BENGALURU: Sandwiched between BJP, which is toeing an aggressive Hindutva line, and fundamental Islamic political outfit Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Congress faces the threat of erosion of its majority Hindu and minority Muslim votebank.
Be it the hijab controversy, or the anti-conversion bill, Congress has faced discomfort. Positioned as a secular party, it can’t be over-inclined towards either section. Admitting that it is facing political and electoral challenges from SDPI, Congress’s B L Shankar said the party can’t push a hard line like BJP and SDPI do.
More worrying for Congress though is the rise of SDPI, the political wing of Popular Front of India. It is gradually eating into Congress’s minority votebank. “There is no doubt SDPI will impact Congress since there will be a split in the minority vote. This explains the soft Hindutva that Congress is pushing. Other parts of the country have seen a majority consolidation leading to a minority consolidation, but in coastal Karnataka, Congress seems to be caught between the two,” said a political analyst.
This story first appeared on timesofindia.indiatimes.com