The Kunnamangalam Assembly segment, a fertile ground for all political parties, has never shown a loyalty to any coalition. As such, nominees of the Congress, CPI(M), and IUML have won from the constituency. Even the BJP has pockets of influence which the party has cultivated in the last two decades.
Now the line-up of most players has been finalised. P.T.A. Rahim of the National Secular Conference, with the support of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), is seeking his fortune for a second time. The former IUML leader had won from the neighbouring Koduvally segment in 2006, then too with the backing of the LDF coalition.
Mr. Rahim captured the seat from two-time legislator U.C. Raman, the Dalit face of the IUML. Now Mr. Raman has been shifted to the reserved constituency of Balussery after swapping the seat with the Congress.
The Congress leadership has brought in T. Siddique, a former Youth Congress State president and former KPCC general secretary, to take on Mr. Rahim. The United Democratic Front (UDF) believes that the consolation of a section of Sunni votes and delimitation of the constituency with the inclusion of Olavanna grama panchayat helped Mr. Rahim romp home last time. There were many aspirants for the seat, but the Central leadership thought that Mr. Siddique would be the best bet to win from the constituency.
This time also the elections will be generally a two-cornered contest, but the BJP is expected to make its presence felt. The party has fielded its former president C.K. Padmanabhan, contesting from the constituency a second time. Last time he secured 17,123 votes. But in the Kozhikode Lok Sabha polls which he contested, Mr. Padmanabhan polled 21,726 votes from the segment.
