The year 2018 was when Sabarimala temple acquired a political dimension, with street protests erupting over the Supreme Court’s ruling that allowed women of all age groups to worship at the hill shrine. The verdict put the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government on the defensive as both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought to rally public sentiment around the issue.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) reaped the benefits in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Ever since, Sabarimala-related issues have become a familiar refrain on the campaign trail.
The alleged misappropriation of gold from the hill temple is being highlighted by the Congress and the BJP as local body election campaigning gathers momentum. Two former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board, arrested in the case, are from the ruling CPI(M).
Ground-level conversations in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam reveal a mixed response. Despite the noise in political circles, the issue appears to be struggling to gain political traction.
Major protests
Pandalam Municipality in Pathanamthitta — a BJP-ruled civic body and a major transit point to the temple, witnessed a flurry of protests led by both the Congress and the BJP. At least two major demonstrations sought to turn the alleged gold theft into a poll-season flashpoint. But voters on the ground seem far less animated. Many insist that the issue does not carry the same emotional charge or polarising effect as the 2018 agitation.
“In Pandalam, the issue doesn’t hold currency beyond a point,” says G. Sreejith, a voter in Ward 8 of the municipality. “Voters are focused on the three-way fight here between the NDA, LDF, and UDF. The periodic arrests in the case have also helped dilute the momentum,” he adds.
Yet not everyone is dismissive. A voter from Ranni-Pazhavangadi panchayat, a senior State government employee and a member of the Knanaya Jacobite Church, believes the scandal could influence a section of voters, though it’s hard to predict who the ultimate beneficiary will be.
‘Limited impact’
In Kottayam,reactions echo similar ambivalence. Chandrasekharan Nair from Chirakkadavu panchayat, near Ponkunnam, says the political tempo around the scandal has ebbed. “Even the BJP isn’t pushing this hard in the campaign,” he notes. “The UDF is trying to amplify it, but I feel the impact will be limited.”
In Thrissur, campaigning revolves around hyper-local concerns, although Sabarimala is highlighted in election conventions and hoardings.
Radha Nair, a State government employee based in Thiruvananthapuram, finds Sabarimala emotive enough to sway votes. “Sabarimala is not just another temple. When something as serious as theft of temple gold occurs, it naturally creates a sense of betrayal and hurt among devotees and will likely influence the poll outcome,” she reasons.
But Sukumaran Pillai, an autorickshaw driver, feels that everyday concerns such as employment opportunities, law and order, and the rising cost of living will by far decide the outcome of the civic polls. “Sabarimala is unlikely to dramatically alter the result except in a few pockets,” he says.
Shibina Manoj, an artist from Koyilandy in Kozhikode district, thinks local elections are fought between candidates known in the locality, and familiarity with the candidates and personal opinions about them will be the decisive factor.
Shibina’s father is a BJP supporter, her husband a staunch Congressman, and some of her uncles work for the CPI(M). She has seen her family debate these issues, but believes Sabarimala isn’t going to heavily influence the elections.
However, Geetha Vishwambharan, an entrepreneur in Kozhikode city, feels the issue could matter at the block panchayat and district panchayat levels, where candidates are not as familiar to voters as in village panchayats. Voters may view it primarily as a corruption issue, she says.
(With inputs from Hiran Unnikrishnan in Kottayam, Mini Muringatheri in Thrissur, Sarath Babu George in Thiruvananthapuram, and Aabha Raveendran in Kozhikode.
Published – December 02, 2025 09:38 am IST
