For Ahamed Daverkovil, general secretary of the Indian National League (INL), fortunes turned dramatically in 2021. He started the year as a first-time candidate to the Assembly, then he became an MLA, and now a Minister, the first from the INL.
Hailing from Daverkovil, a village near Kuttiady in Kozhikode, he was into party politics from his school days. He was imprisoned for one of his articles during the Emergency, when he was still in school.
Later, he shifted base to Thalassery in Kannur for studies. His part-time travel agency business during his college days flourished and Mr. Daverkovil shifted to Mumbai soon after his studies.
Active in the political and social circles in Mumbai for a while, he was secretary of the Bombay Kerala Muslim Jamaath and the Maharashtra State Muslim League. He joined the INL when the party was formed in 1994.
“This is a great achievement not just for me but for the party too. A result of our perseverance for the past 27 years being part of the Left Democratic Front,” Mr. Daverkovil told The Hindu, adding that he had not expected a ministerial position, though he was sure to win the election.
However, it is yet to be decided what portfolio Mr.Daverkovil will be in charge of. “We will accept whatever portfolio we get. It is up to the Chief Minister,” he said.
