: Faced with unrelenting heat conditions, voters in the Koduvally Assembly constituency, which is nestled in the Western Ghats, have now realised the importance of conserving the Ghats. Environment issues have taken centre stage in the run-up to the elections here, said BJP candidate and film-maker Ali Akbar.
Other than that, the political situation here is rather confused. V.M. Ummer, sitting MLA, claims to have taken several development initiatives in the constituency, but he is not contesting this time. In his place is M.A. Razak, district secretary of the Indian Union Muslim League as the UDF candidate. The LDF-supported Independent, Karat Razak, is a familiar face in UDF circles. Mr. Razak was the president of Koduvally block panchayat and a steadfast IUML worker until recently. Mr. Razak’s candidature as an LDF-supported Independent may turn the tide in Koduvally that has been a UDF bastion ever since the constituency was formed, except in 2006 when it favoured LDF candidate P.T.A. Rahim.
The constituency comprises five grama panchayats — Kizhakkoth, Madavoor, Narikkuni, Omasseri and Thamarasseri as well as the Koduvally municipality.
The majority of these grama panchayats favoured the UDF in the recent local body polls.
The whopping margin of votes scored in Koduvally segment was a major factor in sending M.K. Raghavan to Parliament a second time from the Kozhikode parliamentary constituency.
Whether it was a pro-LDF wave or an anti-Muraleedharan wave that worked in Koduvally in 2006 is debatable. But the LDF camp here is abuzz with hopes of repeating 2006, even as the UDF basks in the glory of Mr. Ummer’s developmental activities.
Koduvally has been a UDF bastion since the constituency was formed, except in 2006 when the LDF won.
