MALAPPURAM: In a last-minute shift, the LDF on Monday dropped its nominee and announced support for a rebel candidate from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Mankada constituency.
CPM politburo member A Vijayaraghavan said the LDF would back independent candidate Kunnath Muhammed, replacing its earlier nominee M P Alavi.
The decision came after Muhammed, who had a fallout with the IUML, entered the fray as an independent and subsequently sought Left support.
Vijayaraghavan said the move aimed at maximising LDF’s chances of victory in Mankada. Alavi confirmed his withdrawal from the contest.
A former block panchayat president and mandal committee president of IUML, Muhammed was expelled following his opposition to the candidature of Manjalamkuzhi Ali. He said he decided to contest as an independent against the alleged sustained neglect despite his long political service.
Meanwhile, K Alikkutty Musliyar, the state general secretary of Samastha Kerala Jemiyyathul Ulama, handed over Muhammed’s nomination deposit. The public support by the respected religious scholar and Muhammed’s relative, is being seen as a move that could influence sections of the Samastha-backed electorate.