The Sunni group led by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musaliar is likely to give its vote en bloc to Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate M.B. Faisal in the Malappuram Lok Sabha byelection on April 12.
Though the group has not made any official declaration of its stance, Sunni leaders admitted that the current situation did not warrant its support for Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate P.K. Kunhalikutty.
The Sunni group is disenchanted with the IUML more than ever since the UDF government assumed power in the State in 2011. The IUML, apparently at the instance of Kanthapuram’s rival, the Samastha Sunni group, had allegedly harassed the Sunnis on many occasions.
The Sunni leadership here blamed the IUML for abetting the closure of several Sunni mosques and madrasas while in power. A recent controversy over a meeting the IUML convened to discuss the issue of uniform civil code too had disappointed the Sunni faction.
“The snide remarks made by Mr. Kunhalikutty about Usthad (Kanthapuram) at a meeting in Kozhikode remain afresh in the minds of the Sunnis. We will have to think twice before voting for a leader like him,” said Mohammeduppa, a Sunni madrasa teacher here.
Although IUML leaders said it had invited the Sunni leadership to the civil code meeting held at Kozhikode, the group claimed that it was a lie. In response, Mr. Kunhalikutty had chided: “Do we have to treat him like a Puthiyapla (bridegroom)?” This remark made some weeks ago has apparently wounded the Sunnis.
The IUML leadership, however, is not worried. “There is nothing new in it. They have always been supporting the Left,” said Abdurahman Randathani, IUML leader in charge of the campaign in Perinthalmanna.
IUML’s E. Ahamed had got a good share of Kanthapuram Sunni votes in his 1.94-lakh victory margin over LDF’s P.K. Sainaba in Malappuram in 2014. The reason was apparent: the Sunni group could not digest voting for a woman in Parliament election. Ms. Sainaba had clocked 28.46% vote share, one of the lowest by an LDF candidate. With the Sunni votes falling in his ballot, Mr. Faisal can rest assured of securing more than 35% vote share in Malappuram. But that will not be good enough to undo the State’s biggest margin secured by the IUML candidate in 2014.
