Thiruvananthapuram, March 2 – As assembly elections approach, the Left-controlled Travancore Devaswom Board has dramatically reversed its stance on the contentious issue of women's entry into the Sabarimala temple on Monday, signaling a fresh political turn in one of Kerala's most divisive debates.
Board President K. Jayakumar told reporters that the Devaswom Board would withdraw its earlier affidavit supporting the entry of menstruating women and instead argue that long-standing temple customs must be protected.
The 2019 affidavit filed before the Supreme Court of India will be revised accordingly.
The move comes against the backdrop of growing political sensitivity surrounding the issue.
The previous stance favoring women's entry had triggered widespread protests and intense backlash from sections of devotees, dealing a political setback to the CPI-M-led government at the time.
The recalibration is widely seen as an attempt to curb renewed mobilization ahead of the polls.
The Left suffered one of its worst defeats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was advocating for the entry of all women, even organizing a massive movement for it.
The Supreme Court directed all parties, including the state government, to submit their positions by March 14.
This puts the Vijayan government in a delicate position, as it must now formally articulate its stance before the apex court.
While the Devaswom Board has opted to defend tradition, the state's position will be closely watched for political and legal implications.
A nine-judge Constitution Bench, to be constituted by the Chief Justice, will begin detailed hearings on April 7.
Written submissions must be filed in advance, and arguments are scheduled to conclude by April 22.
The Centre has already indicated its support for the review petitions challenging the earlier five-judge verdict that permitted women's entry.
Beyond Sabarimala, the court will examine 67 related petitions raising broader constitutional questions on the interplay between individual rights under Articles 25 and 26, essential religious practices, constitutional morality, and the scope of judicial review in matters of faith.
With both the Devaswom Board and the state government set to clarify their positions, the Sabarimala issue appears poised to re-enter the political center stage just months before voters head to the Assembly polls.
