Kochi: In a move seen as politically significant amid the changing equations in Kerala politics, Thushar Vellappally on Sunday called on Chief Minister VD Satheesan on his birthday at his residence in Aluva, signalling a possible thaw in relations between the SNDP leadership and the new UDF government.
Thushar, who serves as the Vice President of the SNDP Yogam, State President of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), and NDA State Convener, led a delegation of SNDP office-bearers to meet the Chief Minister. While Thushar described the visit as a courtesy call to convey greetings to Satheesan, the meeting is widely being viewed as the first visible step toward normalising ties between the CM and the SNDP leadership after months of political friction.
However, the meeting assumes importance against the backdrop of the strained relationship that had developed between Satheesan and SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan over the last two years, especially in the run-up to the assembly elections and during the subsequent debate over the Congress’s CM choice.
For months, Natesan had repeatedly targeted Satheesan through public statements. During the election campaign, he openly backed the LDF and frequently criticised the then Opposition Leader, at one point remarking that Satheesan’s role was largely confined to television appearances. Natesan had also credited senior Congress leader KC Venugopal with steering the party’s electoral strategy and suggested that he was more deserving of consideration for the chief ministerial post.
Earlier this year, Natesan accused the Congress of neglecting the Ezhava community and repeatedly questioned Satheesan’s political stature, while also expressing reservations about the growing influence of the Indian Union Muslim League within the UDF.
Despite the sharp attacks, Satheesan largely avoided direct confrontation, maintaining that senior community leaders were entitled to express their views.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Thushar Vellappally tried to downplay suggestions of any political reconciliation. When asked whether the ice between the two sides had finally melted, he responded with a laugh and said, “No ice has formed there yet! It is not a granite stone to not melt.”
Thushar insisted that the visit was personal in nature and coincided with the Chief Minister’s birthday observance according to his birth star. He said no organisational demands or political issues were raised during the meeting.
“Today, we spent some time discussing a few personal things. It was a casual conversation; nothing else was discussed,” he added. Responding to questions about the timing of the visit, Thushar said, “he (Satheesan) has only been in office for a couple of days, not even a week yet. Let him settle down first. Why should we analyse things prematurely and spoil them?”
In a notable clarification, Thushar earlier distanced the SNDP as an organisation from the controversial remarks made by his father in recent months, indicating that those statements should not be viewed as official positions of the Yogam.
That distinction claimed by Thushar is significant, as it leaves room for a constructive relationship between the influential community organisation and the Satheesan government despite the bitter exchanges witnessed during the election season. Thushar also stressed the need for cordial relations between community organisations and any elected government, regardless of political affiliations.
He also indicated that Sunday’s interaction could be followed by a formal meeting involving the top SNDP leadership, including Natesan. “He has already stated that he will meet everyone. Whoever comes to govern the state of Kerala, there will certainly be a friendly, loving relationship with them,” Thushar said.
