KOZHIKODE: Koyilandy MLA Kanathil Jameela passed away on Saturday at a private hospital in Kozhikode following illness. She was 59. The CPM leader had been convalescing at home for the last six months after undergoing treatment for cancer.
Jameela had a unique political ascent, achieving the rare feat of serving and winning elections across all three tiers of the panchayat system before being elected to the assembly in 2021. Born in Kuttiadi, Jameela inherited her political fervour from her father, T K K Abdulla, a frontline communist leader during the Emergency era.
‘Snehasparsham’ proved her commitment to public care
After marriage, her move to Thalakulathur placed her in a family of dedicated CPM workers.
Jameela’s career officially took off in 1995, when she was elected to Thalakulathur panchayat and served as its president.
Her influence solidified during her tenure as Kozhikode district panchayat chief, a position she held twice, in 2010 and 2020, when she won the Nanminda division by a margin of 8,094 votes. During her time in office, she launched the acclaimed ‘Snehasparsham’ project for kidney patients, providing up to Rs 3,000 in financial aid and free medicines — a scheme that became synonymous with her commitment to public care.
In 2021, Jameela successfully transitioned to state politics, winning the Koyilandy assembly constituency. She defeated her Congress opponent N Subhramanian by a significant margin of 8,472 votes.
She is survived by her husband, Abdurahman, and children, Ayreej Rahman and Anooja.