MALAPPURAM: A UDF candidate in Malappuram municipality has been wooing voters using his stilt walking skills. A P Shihab, contesting from Cheruparambu, has been sharing videos of him walking on 3.5-metre-long stilts. “I wanted to stilt walk during my campaign. But electric lines and trees in the area hindered the idea,” said Shihab.
The 30-year-old Congress candidate began learning stilt walking from a young age, along with his Kalaripayattu lessons. According to him, stilt walking is difficult to learn, but not impossible with proper training. Shihab entered the Indian Book of Records for stilt walking in 2015 and soon after that the Asia Book of Records fro walking 3.5km within 2.45 hours. He is now planning to walk 42 kilometres on stilts— from Malappuram to Kozhikode — to enter the Limca Book of Records.