The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has decided to field P.P. Basheer as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate for the Vengara Assembly byelections. However, the selection process in the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is to contest for the United Democratic Front (UDF), was not as calm as in the CPI(M), with its State general secretary K.P.A. Majeed deciding to keep off the electoral fray.
The CPI(M)’s decision was announced by party State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan here. The CPI(M) leadership chose to stick to a party man contrary to expectations that it might experiment with an independent candidate as it had done in Tanur in the 2016 election.
Mr. Basheer had lost to IUML strongman P.K. Kunhalikutty by over 35,000 votes in Vengara in the 2016 polls. The decision to field Mr. Basheer once again was taken after the Malappuram district committee and Secretariat approved his candidature. Mr. Basheer expressed confidence in securing the seat for the LDF.
Mr. Majeed announced his decision to keep off the electoral fray in an interview to a private television channel. He said he had informed IUML president Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal about his decision not to contest.
The decision appears to have been prompted by strong opposition from the younger elements in the party and the Youth League. But Mr. Majeed maintained that he had take the decision since the party was in the midst of its organisational election process.
With Mr. Majeed deciding to pull out of the fray, the IUML leadership will announce its candidate on Monday itself, instead of the earlier deadline of September 20. It is obvious that had Mr. Majeed decided otherwise, the party leadership would have had a tough time in deciding to exclude an old warhorse.
