The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will field its district secretary K.N.A. Khader as the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate in the Vengara Assembly byelection.
IUML State president Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal, in his trademark two-line style, announced Mr. Khader’s name after a few rounds of final discussions with the party top brass at his Panakkad house on Monday.
Mr. Khader will take on the CPI(M)’s P.P. Basheer in the byelection to be held on October 11. The LDF had announced Mr. Basheer’s name in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
The byelection in Vengara was necessitated following the resignation of IUML general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty, who went to the Lok Sabha after getting elected from Malappuram following the death of incumbent E. Ahamed in February.
Mr. Basheer was the CPI(M) candidate in Vengara in the 2016 Assembly election. He was defeated by Mr. Kunhalikutty by a margin of 38,057 votes. Mr. Kunhalikutty, who accompanied Mr. Thangal along with other State leaders, said that Mr. Khader would improve the lead in Vengara. IUML State secretary U.A. Latheef will replace Mr. Khader as party district secretary. Mr. Kunhalikutty said that Mr. Latheef was given charge of district secretary, and a full-time secretary would be chosen later.
Party national secretary E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP; P.V. Abdul Wahab, MP; district president Sayed Sadikali Shihab Thangal; State general secretary K.P.A. Majeed; national secretary M.P. Abdussamad Samadani; and K.K. Abid Husain Thangal, MLA; were among the leaders who accompanied Mr. Thangal.
The BJP is yet to announce its candidate. The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has fielded K.C. Naseer. The UDF will hold its first major convention at Vengara on Friday. Mr. Kunhalikutty said top UDF leaders, including Oommen Chandy, would attend.
The LDF will launch its campaign with a mega convention here on Wednesday. LDF leaders said top leaders of the front constituents would attend.
The Shiv Sena would field A. Sivadasan for the byelection. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. Mr. Sivadasan, a lawyer, would contest in the party symbol ‘bow and arrow’, State president M.S.Bhuvanachandran said in a release here.
