MALAPPURAM: Even if there is an LDF wave across the state in the assembly elections, Malappuram district is unlikely to withdraw its unwavering support to UDF. This happened in the recent civic body elections, in which, despite LDF’s powerful show in other districts, an IUML-powered UDF bagged a majority of local bodies, including 73 out of the 94 panchayats, in Malappuram. In the 2016 assembly elections, UDF secured 14 seats while LDF increased its tally from two in 2011 to four. By fielding strong candidates, UDF has increased its chances of retaining sitting seats and also wrest some from LDF, said political observers.
Veteran journalist N P Chekkutty felt UDF will retain its sitting seats. However, there are some doubts about Tirurangadi where IUML general secretary K P A Majeed is contesting. Chekkutty said by fielding former DCC chief V V Prakash against LDF MLA P V Anvar in Nilambur, UDF has increased its chances of wresting the constituency.
UDF is also giving tough challenges to other LDF MLAs, with Muslim Youth League (MYL) state general secretary P K Firoz pitted against V Abdurahiman in Tanur and social worker Firoz Kunnamparambil against K T Jaleel in Tavanur. The presence of P K Kunhalikutty, who is leading the election campaign in the district, has also energised the UDF camp. There are allegations that LDF has failed to field a strong candidate against him in Vengara.
The LDF has decided to use its old strategy of fielding independent candidates in the district to make inroads into League and Congress bastions. It mostly finds independents from the pool of people who resigned from UDF. This time too LDF has fielded three more independents – Dibona Nasar in Manjeri, K P Muhammed Musthafa in Perithalmanna and Mithuna C P M in Wandoor – all of them ex-IUML members.Two of its sitting MLAs, P V Anvar (Nilambur) and V Abdurahiman (Tanur), are ex-Congress legislators. MLA K T Jaleel in Tavanur joined LDF from IUML.
The CPM camp aims to increase its representation in the district from four MLAs to eight, by winning Perithalmanna, Tirurangadi, Tirur and Mankada. In Perinthalmanna, IUML’s victory by just 596 votes last time has prompted LDF to field IUML’s former Malappuram municipal chairman K P Muhammed Musthafa. In Tirurangadi, LDF withdrew its earlier announced candidate Ajith Kolady to field Niyas Pulikkalakath after people there protested against League’s K P A Majeed. The 1,508 vote margin that the League secured in 2016 in Mankada has boosted LDF’s dream of winning the seat.
The last time LDF performed well in the district was in 2006, when it won five out of 12 seats, the same secured by IUML. How Malappuram’s voters would respond to the popularity of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his anti-CAA stand can be assessed only after the elections. However, a positive response to the two factors was not seen in the local body election results in Muslim League citadels.