KASARGOD: For decades, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has been holding a majority in Kasaragod municipality. Unlike the rest of Kerala, the Left parties don’t have a compelling presence in the town area while the Congress is comfortable to field its ally IUML that continues winning the district’s first municipality ever since it was formed in 1965.
Kasaragod municipality has 38 wards. And IUML consolidated its position here in the last elections compared to the 2015 polls when the League won 19 seats while INC won one seat. So did the BJP, that secured 13 seats in 2015 and managed to wipe INC’s slate clean securing Kadapuram South in 2020 elections.
Over the three elections, BJP has become the only contender for the IUML and the party is hoping to cash in on anti-incumbency with the municipality struggling with traffic, parking woes, poor roads and medical facilities. “Growth will happen in Kasaragod municipality only when BJP comes to power. The League has done nothing in the past, to convince the people for the consecutive victory,” says BJP district president M L Ashwini.
Nevertheless, the League has better advantage of a homogenous demographic set up where BJP and IUML hardly come face to face in a stiff competition.
The League continues winning wherever the Muslim population is more while BJP continues winning where the population is less. Thus, both contenders are merely consolidating their votes in subsequent elections.
With delimitation turning 38 wards into 39, CPM is optimistic of increasing its count since the party is holding only Chennikara ward in the last two terms. “Both League and BJP are polarising people for securing electoral gains,” accused CPM’s Muhammed Haneefa, CPM’s election in-charge for Kasaragod municipality. CPM staged a demonstration in Kasaragod on the day local body elections were announced, accusing the League of adding bogus voters wherever it is threatened.
Intriguingly, the threat is internal for the League. Both independent candidates who won from Fish Market and Honnamoola are spouses of IUML’s rebel leaders.
The Fish Market was IUML’s prestigious ward and the party lost it to the rebel Rashid Pooranam in 2015 while the IUML’s popular worker Computer Moideen won Honnamoola that year. “They were sincere IUML workers but decided to rebel because the party failed to recognise them,” said a League worker. Though IUML is optimistic that the rebels won’t dent its image this time, only the following days would reveal the reality.