KOZHIKODE: O P Rasheed, the candidate who made headlines in the 2020 local-body elections by failing to secure even a single vote, is back in the fray. Far from being disheartened, Rasheed insists that his previous defeat was not a setback but a successful strategic move crafted by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to ensure the victory of Karat Faizal.
Speaking with discernible confidence, Rasheed maintains that the “zero-vote episode” will not be repeated this time.
In 2020, the LDF initially selected Faizal as its candidate for the Chundapparamba division. However, Faizal was at the receiving end of public criticism owing to allegations linked to the infamous gold smuggling case. Growing protests and intense backlash put the LDF leadership in a difficult position.
To quell the unrest, the LDF replaced Faizal with O P Rasheed, who represented the National Youth League. But the election results were shocking as Rasheed did not receive even a single vote, not even his own. Running as an independent, Faizal went on to win the seat by a margin of 82 votes.
“It was all planned,” claims Rasheed. Now, Rasheed asserts that the surprising numbers of 2020 were no accident.
According to him, the LDF had never abandoned Faizal in spirit, even though his official candidature was withdrawn. “Voters did not reject Faizal. LDF workers and committees rallied behind him.
My candidature was part of a strategy. Zero votes were part of that plan. It was our victory,” he says. Rasheed notes that he actively participated in the early stages of the campaign and insists that had he received even a few votes, Faizal might have lost. “I stood as a candidate only to ensure Faizal’s win,” he claims.
This time, Rasheed is contesting from KTK (Kedekkunnu) division and is confident of a clear victory. He asserts that he is no longer playing a strategic role but is genuinely contesting to win.
Meanwhile, Faizal whom Rasheed helped secure victory earlier is contesting the upcoming election as an LDF-backed independent from South Koduvally. Faizal maintains that the issues surrounding the gold smuggling allegations “no longer matter,” and the CPM reportedly sees no problem with his candidature.