The inaugural session of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam at Pamba in Kerala last month witnessed something ideologically unexpected: CPI(M) leader and Kerala Temple Affairs Minister V N Vasavan began the inaugural session by reading out a message from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in response to an invite sent to him.“Dear V N Vasavanji, I am thankful for the invitation to attend the agola (global) Ayyappa Sangamam on September 20, 2025, at Pamba in commemoration of the platinum jubilee of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Lord Ayyappa is the divine protector of dharma. His worship illuminates the path of righteous living and inspires devotees to promote and preserve sattvic values and strengthen harmony and inclusivity. It is necessary to spread ancient Indian wisdom and traditions. In this perspective, the Sangamam assumes much significance and this conclave will successfully achieve its objectives,” Vasavan read.AdvertisementWhile there are several micro-level explanations for this development — many in the Left see it as an electoral move — a veteran Left activist from Kerala said: “There is no doubt that this means the normalisation and hegemony of Hindutva as an ideology. All may not be singing the same song as the BJP, but they are trying to sing different versions of the BJP’s song.”Two CPI(M) leaders — a Politburo member and the other a Central Committee leader – however, said the aim of the event was to develop Pamba as a site of religious tourism. One of them asserted that Lord Ayyappa was a “symbol of secularism”, given the legend of Vavar Swami, a Muslim warrior and his companion, associated with his worship.Adityanath’s message came at a time when the BJP and Sangh Parivar organisations had come out against the event, questioning the CPI(M) government’s political motive and demanding that it first withdraw criminal cases registered against devotees in connection with the 2018 Sabarimala protest, when the government tried to implement the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of menstruating age to worship at the shrine.AdvertisementWhat is more significant than the internal politics between the CPI(M), the BJP, and the Congress in Kerala is the fact that a Communist minister chose to publicly read out a message from not just a BJP CM but one considered the farthest to the right of the political spectrum.This wasn’t all. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought to counter the BJP’s attack regarding the grand event, saying “true devotees” supported it while those who “feigned devotion” did not. He also quoted from the Bhagavad Gita to emphasise his point. “Only true devotees can do this. Those who feign devotion may have a special agenda and have tried to prevent the gathering of devotees. It is a relief for all of us that such attempts have been prevented by the Supreme Court,’’ he said, adding that the event was a “sangamam”, a meeting of those who uphold the concept of devotion in the Gita.A CPI leader not wishing to be named said the CPI(M) sensed a major dent in its Muslim votes and wanted to reach out to the small but well-organised Hindutva constituency in the state to compensate for it.The CPI(M), which leads the Left Democratic Front (LDF) coalition in Kerala, made its fierce opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) its main plank in the Lok Sabha polls, aimed at reaching out to Muslim voters. However, it did not yield electoral dividends as the party managed to win just one of the state’s 20 seats as against the Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF) 18 seats, with the remaining one (Thrissur) going to the BJP. It was the BJP’s first-ever Lok Sabha win in the state.The CPI(M) changed tack soon afterwards and claimed that the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), and the Jamaat-e-Islami had worked in tandem with the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to ensure the UDF’s victory.CPI(M) Politburo member A Vijayaraghavan said in Malappuram, “The League is being criticised for having joined hands with communal forces. The approach of the IUML towards the CPI(M) is the same as that of the SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami. IUML has the voice of extreme communal outfits.”Vijayan also criticised the IUML for “its communal stand”. “The Congress and IUML joined hands with communal forces for votes. During the elections, IUML had turned into the face of the SDPI,’’ he alleged.There was another warning bell for the party. The Congress defeated the CPI(M) in the Nilambur Assembly constituency, part of the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat represented by AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in the June bypoll by more than 11,000 votes. What shocked the Left was that two-time CPI(M)-backed Independent legislator P V Anvar, who had grown highly critical of Vijayan and contested as an Independent, secured about 20,000 votes, leading to a Congress victory.This, said a CPI insider, convinced the CPI(M) that Muslim votes could no longer be fully counted upon.Another CPI(M) insider said the belief within the party that not just sections of Nairs but also sections of Ezhavas, toddy tappers by caste, had begun shifting towards the BJP in some pockets. While the BJP is still far from making clear electoral gains, the loss of both Muslim and Hindu votes could hurt the CPI(M). The result was this tacit Hindutva pitch to attract the devout, particularly among the Ezhavas.For the BJP, which has had a loyal RSS base in the state to count upon, the demography of Kerala remains a challenge, with Muslims and Christians together making up about 45% of the population.