With electioneering in Kozhikode district in full flow, a tight contest appears to have shaped up in the majority of the 13 constituencies.
Of the total 96 candidates, two are Ministers, some are incumbent legislators, a few fresh contestants, unsuccessful aspirants running for second time, State and national-level office-bearers, leaders of affiliated organisations, and even elected representatives of local and civic bodies.
Campaigning
The campaigning is pitched on locally resonant pivots, claims of development, a good dose of communal polarisation, strong undercurrents, and politics of violence. A no-holds-barred battle is on the cards between the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF in constituencies except Elathur, where Nationalist Congress Party leader and Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran is in the fray for the third time.
Both the coalitions are experimenting with different political matrices unlike the BJP that has fielded only party candidates. The only seat where the BJP has managed to make it a triangular fight is Kozhikode North where it has fielded its State general secretary M.T. Ramesh. Here, the CPI(M) has gone with local warhorse Thottathil Raveendran, a two-time Mayor.
But elections have surprising tales of underdogs. Despite hamstrung by organisational flaws, Congress nominee K.M. Abhijith has taken the fight to the battle-hardened veterans here. In the neighbouring Kozhikode South segment, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has nominated Noobina Rasheed, a woman candidate after 25 years. The party also experiments by fielding businessman C.H. Ibrahim Kutty as UDF Independent against CPI(M) leader and Excise Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan in Perambra and Congress local leader Dinesh Perumanna, also an Independent, in Kunnamangalam.
Another segment is Beypore where Democratic Youth Federation of India president P.A. Mohammed Riyas is seeking his fortunes again. Koduvally is all set to witness a tight fight between IUML leader M.K. Muneer, who has shifted from Kozhikode South, to wrest the party’s traditional seat now held by LDF-backed Independent Karat Razak.
A mix of religion and politics is being pandered to by the electorate in Koyilandy, Nadapuram and Kuttiyadi. The CPI(M) has fielded former district panchayat president K.P. Kunahamedkutty to wrest its lost seat. Kuttiyadi had seen an open revolt by party cadres when the seat was offered to the Kerala Congress (M). A close duel between IUML legislator Parakkal Abdulla and Mr. Kunahamedkutty is on the cards. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether he can retain the seat.
Unsuccessful aspirants of the 2016 polls, N. Subramanian and K. Praveenkumar, both of the Congress, are again vying for the Koyilandy and Nadapuram seats. However, the CPI(M) has cautiously chosen district panchayat president Kanathil Jameela to win Koyilandy.
Another key segment is Vadakara where the UDF is supporting K.K. Rema, widow of slain RMP leader T.P. Chandrasekharan.
