The CPI(M), which has backed an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) rebel in the Koduvally assembly segment, has high hopes as the Left coalition tries out its Koduvally- Kunnamangalam model in this Muslim League citadel.
The district leadership secretly admits that only an IUML leader can defeat another IUML in Koduvally. Significantly P.T.A. Rahim, a former IUML leader who had won as an Independent with the backing of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) from Kunnamangalam in the 2011 polls, had also successfully contested the Koduvally seat as an IUML rebel with the LDF support in 2006. Then he had defeated K. Muraleedharan, who contested as candidate of the dissolved Democratic Indira Congress (K) in alliance with the Congress-led United Democratic Front.
Razak vs Razak
This time the constituency will witness more or less a straight fight between two Razaks although the BJP has fielded filmmaker Ali Akbar and minor parties their own nominees. The IUML has nominated its district general secretary M.A. Razak after shifting the party’s sitting legislator V.M. Ummer to neighbouring Thiruvambady segment.
The CPI (M)-led LDF is supporting Karat Razak, who walked out of the IUML recently. The 50-year old contestant was general secretary of the Koduvally mandalam. He was a member of the erstwhile Koduvally grama panchayat for 10 years and member of the Koduvally block panchayat for a decade. He also had a stint as president of the Koduvally block panchayat.
In the 2011 polls, Mr. Ummer had won by a huge margin of 16,552 votes against M.A. Mehaboob, who contested on the CPI (M) ticket. The CPI (M) chanced upon the rebel Razak when the leadership had been finding difficult to choose a candidate.
Koduvally Assembly is spread over the Kizhakkoth , Madavoor, Narikunni, Omassery and Thamarassery grama panchayats and newly formed Koduvally municipality. The Congress had been contesting the seat soon after the formation of the constituency. But the seat went to the IUML and its nominees had been winning since 1977. But Mr. Rahim ended that winning steak.
The Assembly constituency had helped secure leads for the Congress leader M.K. Raghavan who successfully contested the Kozhikode Lok Sabha polls twice. But the voting pattern during the Assembly polls would certainly differ, CPI (M) leaders said.
