MALAPPURAM: At 75, most candidates prefer to stay anchored at their base camp on polling day. But in Ponmundam, BJP’s Malappuram district panchayat candidate Ali Haji was anything but still. From the moment voting began, he was on the move – walking briskly between booths, checking turnout, greeting familiar faces and offering quick reminders to voters he spotted along the way.
By mid-morning, he had covered several booths. By afternoon, he seemed to be everywhere. Wearing his trademark smile, Ali Haji stood out, not for his party colours but for the ease with which he mingled with people across political lines.
Voters paused to greet him; some teased him good-naturedly, others stopped for a brief chat. His presence felt less like that of a candidate under pressure and more like a neighbour checking in on his community on an important day.
To Ponmundam’s voters, he is a familiar figure – someone who has walked these lanes for decades. A BJP national council member, Ali Haji has been a committed party worker for more than 30 years. Since entering electoral politics in 2001, he has contested four assembly elections, including the high-profile 2021 fight against IUML heavyweight P K Kunhalikutty.
But today, as he zigzagged from booth to booth, the contest seemed secondary. “This election is not about winning,” he said, pausing for a moment before heading to another station.
“It’s about representing my party and meeting my people. That is my duty. This is an IUML-majority area, but I personally know every voter in this panchayat. I do not see them as rivals. They are all my friends and acquaintances.”
As dusk approached and crowds thinned, the 75-year-old showed no sign of slowing down. His was among the liveliest outings on a day otherwise marked by tension, silence, and anticipation - proof that for Ali, age is just a number, and polling day is when he truly comes alive.