The heat of a high-pitched electoral battle is felt across the 16 constituencies in Malappuram district, the largest in the State.
Although the results of more than half of them are predictably one sided, the fight in some key and potentially ‘flippable’ constituencies such as Nilambur, Perinthalmanna, Mankada, Tanur, Tirur and Thavanur is fierce.
Slogans of electioneering heard across the district are of uniform character, but candidates and their banners bring additional variety to some constituencies.
Money appears to be playing a significant role in some constituencies where affluent candidates with little political history or experience are seeking the mandate, in spite of a close watch by the Election Commission.
While the UDF is facing the electorate with the conventional party symbols (12 IUML candidates have ladder and four Congress candidates have hand as their symbol), the LDF strategy is different. The CPI(M) has only six candidates seeking the ballot on the party symbol, and the CPI and the NCP on one each.
Five LDF candidates, including incumbents P.V. Anvar and K.T. Jaleel in Nilambur and Thavanur respectively and K.P.M. Mustafa in Perinthalmanna, have autorickshaw as their symbols.
LS byelection
The LDF is passionately whipping up people’s sentiments against the Parliament byelection necessitated in Malappuram following IUML national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty’s resignation from the Lok Sabha. The LDF says the byelection was imposed on the people by Mr. Kunhalikutty.
The Congress is putting up a strong fight in Nilambur and Thavanur. It is using the cases being faced by Mr. Anvar and his bluntness in dealing with issues as a poll plank against him in Nilambur.
In Thavanur, well known charity organiser Firoz Kunnamparambil’s popularity is put to test against Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel. The allegations of nepotism that Mr. Jaleel faced are echoing the constituency.
Tight fight
Perinthalmanna and Mankada are witnessing a tight fight, especially in the backdrop of narrow margins of victory gained by the UDF in the 2016 election. Manjalamkuzhi Ali has to prove that his personal influence continues in Mankada, where he is facing CPI(M)’s T.K. Rasheedali. In Perinthalmanna, it is a neck-and-neck battle between Mr. Mustafa and Muslim Youth League’s Najeeb Kanthapuram.
A former IUML man, Mr. Mustafa is using his business contacts in the constituency. For Mr. Kanthapuram, Perinthalmanna is a new turf. The wrangling rival groups of the IUML there are silent now.
If Mr. Ali is a lone businessman within the UDF. In the LDF, Mr. Anvar (Nilambur), Kattuparuthi Sulaiman Haji (Kondotty), Mr. Mustafa (Perinthalmanna), Mr. Rasheedali (Mankada), Paloli Abdurahman (Malappuram), Niyas Pulikkalakath (Tirurangadi), V. Abdurahman (Tanur), Gafoor P. Lillis (Tirur), and N.A. Mohammed Kutty (Kottakkal) are all businessmen.
Youth League’s P.K. Firos is hopeful of wresting back Tanur from Mr. Abdurahman. The LDF has hopes in Tirur and Tirurangadi, but it needs to be seen how much it can cash in on the anti-Kunhalikutty sentiment it is stirring across the district.
