Minor Muslim parties fail to make impact

SDPI, PDP, WPI come a cropper in the polls

Several minor parties that cropped up to challenge the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) with an alternative approach seemed to have fallen by the wayside in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), political arm of the Popular Front of India, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by the Abdul Nazir Maudany and the Welfare Party of India (WPI) of the Jaamat Islami Hind, reportedly espousing the cause of Muslim community, once upon a time used to scare both the Congress –led UDF and the CPI (M)- led LDF.

However, this time they failed to make any impact in the polls.

In the three-tier local bodies’ polls held in November last, the SDPI had won 40 seats including seven from municipalities and one from a Corporation. Nominees of the PDP got elected from eight wards while WPI, seven wards.

The WPI had fielded candidates in 41 Assembly segments while the SDPI along with Samajwadi Party had contested over 90 seats. The WPI State president Hameed Vaniyambalam who was in the fray at Mankada received 3,999 votes while general secretary P.A. Abdul Hakkim at Poonjar, got 804 votes.

SDPI national leader Nazarudheen Elamaram could muster only 3,667 votes from Kondotty in Malappuram district. When he contested the elections from Karunagapally last time he got 7,645. This time SDPI nominee A.K. Salahudheen in Karunagapally received only 1,738 votes. Writer and political commentator Hameed Chennamangaloor said that none of these parties could elbow their way into the space of the Muslim League.

At the same time, the SDPI and WPI had marshalled their resources in many key constituencies.

Allegations

There were allegations that the WPI had transferred votes in favour of the CPI (M) candidate at Thiruvambady resulting in the defeat of the IUML nominee.

He said that aggressive posture of SDPI and WPI against IUML nominee K.M. Shaji at Azikkode proved counter productive. A call by Sunni leader A.P. Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliyar to defeat IUML candidate N. Shamudheen at Mannarkad not only was futile but he also increased his vote share.

The PDP was routed in places where the party contested while the INL, a splinter group of the IUML, which had an electoral alliance with LDF in Kasaragod, Kozhikode South and Vallikkunnu, had to bite the dust.