Kochi

Yogakshema Sabha, an outfit of Kerala’s Namboodiri Brahmins, is likely to associate with a new political party to be floated by backward Eazhava caste leader Vellappally Natesan, its top leader said today.

“We are part of a broad Hindu alliance in Kerala. We support the move initiated by SNDP leader Vellappally Natesan to float a new political party. We will take a decision whether to join the new political formation in our next meeting. So far our thoughts are in its favour,” President of the Saba Akkeeraman Kaladasan Bhattathirippad told PTI.

The move by Yogakshema Sabha comes amidst the BJP’s efforts to make inroads in Kerala by forging understanding with various Hindu caste outfits, including Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), an organisation of Ezhava community.

Bhattathirippad said the Sabha is likely to join a ‘Rath Yatra’ of Hindu organisations commencing from November 23 from Kasargod to Thiruvnananthapuram.

The Rath Yatra, which is named as Samatva Munnetta Yatra, is being organised under the leadership of Natesan, General Secretary of SNDP, who makes efforts to bring Kerala’s various Hindu castes under a single umbrella.

Bhattathirippad said a meeting of Yogakshema Sabha to be held tonight will take a decision on the outfit’s future course of action in view of emerging political situation in the state.

After holding a meeting of political analysts on the move to form a new party in Cherthala on Monday, Natesan had said formation of a third front was inevitable in the state and certain things on political formation will happen during the Rathyatra.

This is perhaps for the first time in the recent history the Sabha, of which social reformers and revolutionaries like legendary Communist leader E M S Namboodiripad and V T Bhattathirippad were members, is thinking in favour of a religion-based political formation in Kerala.

E M S started his public life by taking part in the struggles for social reforms in his Brahmin community by becoming an active worker of the Namboodiri Yogakshema Sabha in his student days.

Meanwhile, former chairman of ISRO, G Madhavan Nair has supported the SNDP initiative, saying there is a scope for a third front which focuses on development in the state.

Nair said he has no hesitation in associating with with the development agenda of the BJP. “BJP works with a greater aim. It works for development of all sectors and sections,” he had said.

Sources said Nair’s name has been suggested as chief patron of a committee to be constituted to organise the Rath Yatra. Bhattathirippad is likely to be the chairman of the organising committee of the Yatra.

PTI