A group of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) workers gathered in Kalamassery on Monday to register their protest against the party State leadership’s decision to field V.E. Abdul Gafoor for the upcoming Assembly elections from the constituency as the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate.
A senior party leader said that around 500 IUML workers gathered on Monday morning to express their dissatisfaction against the State leadership’s decision. Though initial reports said that a protest rally was conducted, the IUML leader said there was no rally, in keeping with the party discipline.
Mr. Gafoor is the son of V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, the sitting MLA. Mr. Kunju is one of the key accused in the corruption case related to the construction of the Palarivattom flyover. Senior party leader Ahmed Kabeer had, on Sunday, expressed willingness to contest from Kalamassery if the party leadership permitted.
The Left Democratic Front is looking for a chance to wrest the seat from the UDF, which had comfortably won both the 2011 and 2016 Assembly elections. Mr. Kunju had won on both occasions, defeating CPI(M) stalwarts. However, the results of the recent local body elections have given new impetus to the campaign by P. Rajeev, the LDF candidate from Kalamassery. Mr. Rajeev, former Rajya Sabha member and former CPI(M)district secretary, is at present a party secretariat member.
