By TCN News,
Malappuram: The Social Democratic Party of India released its second list of candidates to the Kerala Assembly. State general secretary P Abdul Majeed Faizee will contest against Muslim League general secretary PK Kunjalikkutty in Vengara in Malappuram district. National Council member Nasarusheen Elamaram will contest from Karunagappalli in Kollam.
The noted leaders contesting in the election include National Council member Adv KM Ashraf (Pattambi in Palakkad district), state secretary A Noorjahan (Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram district) and State Council member AA Shafi (Kollam). The SDPI will face the elections raising the slogan ‘Mafia-free politics, welfare Kerala’, said national general secretary A Saeed. He was speaking after announcing the second list of candidates.
Other candidates are A H Muneer, district secretary (Kasargod), Adv. K C Shabeer, district council member (Mattannur in Kannur district), P Jameela, district council member (Kalpetta in Wayanadu); M T Abu Hajee, district vice president (Koduvally), Bhadran Chelannoor, district committee member (Balussery) and Musthafa Kommery, district secretary (Beypore) in Kozhikode district; Yahya Thangal (Ponnani), Neelambra Jaleel, district general secretary (Manjeri), Adv. Sadiq Naduthodi, district secretary (Malappuram), A K Majeed Master, district secretary (Tirur), Dr. C H Ashraf (Mankada) and P Noorul Haq (Thavanur) in Malappuram district; Ashraf Vadakkoottu (Guruvayur in Thrissur); P A Muhammed Aslam, district president (Kalamassery), Shine Muhammed, district secretary (Kothamangalam) and M A Yousuf Mufthi (Kochi) in Ernakulam district, P S Madhu, district president (Peerumedu), Muhammed Sharafuddeen, district general secretary (Udumbanchola), Najeeb M A, district secretary (Thodupuzha) and V A Raju (Devikulam) in Idukki district; V M Sulaiman Moulavi, district treasurer (Poonjar in Kottayam district), Venu Chennithala (Harippadu) and K T Jayaprakash (Aroor) in Alappuzha district; Thaliyil Vanajan (Neyyattinkara), Nizam Manakkadu, district treasurer (Kovalam), Karakulam Sathyakumar (Aruvikkara, Independant) and M A Jaleel (Kazhakkoottam) in Thiruvananthapuram district.
State secretary VT Iqramul Haq criticised the CPI (M) for not contesting in Vengara and Malappuram constituencies. The CPI (M) has given the two constituencies for weak allies. The party would have directly contested if it were serious in its campaign against Kunjalikkutty. A haughty ruling power and indifferent opposition has been the curse of Kerala decades. The SDPI’s aim in the first phase is to make this election unpredictable. Even though the NRI Vote Bill has been presented with all pomp, neither of the alliances has fielded a single expatriate candidate, he added.
Out of the total 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, the SDPI is fielding candidates in 98 constituencies. It is not contesting in two constituencies (Nemam in Thiruvananthapuram and Manjeswaram in Kasargod). It will support the Kerala Dalit Panthers, Lok Janshakthi Party and the Republican Party of India in 40 constituencies. The party had announced its first list of candidates a few days earlier, among which the important candidates are state general secretary MK Manoj Kumar (Kunnathunadu in Ernakulam district), state vice-president PK Ayyappan Master (Peravoor in Kannur district), state secretary Thulaseedharan Pallikkal (Kunnathur in Kollam district) and state treasurer Samkutty Jacob (Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district).
General secretary P Abdul Majeed Faizee had earlier contested to the Parliament in the by-election held in Kannur in 2009, but secured only less than 3500 votes. The Popular Front of India, and the erstwhile National Development Front, had not been in the forefront when there was huge criticism against PK Kunjalikkutty regarding his alleged involvement in the ice-cream parlour sex scandal during the last UDF government. However, now that the SDPI has been launched apparently as the political version of the PFI, the political party is contesting against Mr Kunjalikkutty and has fielded its prominent leader in the election arena.