By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Malappuram: The local body polls held last month in Kerala was noted for the presence of several new parties and alliances. Significant was the new experiment of local alliances sponsored by the Jamat e Islami in different names such as the Janakeeya Vikasana Munnani, Janapaksha Munnani, Janasevana Munnani etc. They too have now become part of the electoral politics by winning nine seats in various village panchayats.
The results of the local body polls pave the base of the people-friendly politics coming up in Kerala as an alternative to the left and rights fronts (LDF and UDF), said Hameed Vanimel, political cell secretary of the Jamat e Islami. It could be understood from the details of voting that the LDF and the UDF had worked together to defeat the candidates of the Munnani in several places. However, these local alliances have been able to present strong competition against the powerful fronts in the election in which money, alcohol and fraud votes were flowing.
The Munnani opened its account in six districts namely Kozhikode, Wayanad, Palakkad, Malappuram, Thrissur and Kollam. The Munnani won two seats each in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur districts, and one seat each in Wayanad, Palakkad and Kollam districts. Candidates of the Munnani are reported to have secured second place in around 80 wards in village panchayats and six wards in the municipalities of Kannur, Malappuram, Manjeri, Palakkad and Perumbavur.
Aryattil Fathima won in Pallikkuth ward in Vettathur Panchayat in Malappuram for 235 votes. Sabira Teacher won in Mele Aripra ward in Angadippuram Panchayat in Malappuram for 163 votes. Nahrabi Teacher defeated Congress’s Shahida Kareem at Mahilasamajam ward in Edavilangu Panchayat in Thrissur. Nafeesa Abdul Kareem defeated Congress’s Rasiya in Maadavana ward in Eriyad Panchayat in Thrissur. Thara Raheem defeated Muslim League’s KK Basheer Haji in Santhi Nagar ward in Velom Panchayat in Kozhikode district. Raheem got 466 votes and Basheer Haji got 457 whereas CPI (M) got only 36 votes in the ward. Fathima Kodappana won in Chennamangallur ward in Mukkom Panchayat in Kozhikode for a lead of 126 votes. Fathima got 567 votes while Muslim League’s Saidha Jamal became second with only 441 votes. Ramla Vengalath defeated Muslim League’s Vengalath Sainaba in Pinangode ward in Vengappally village Panchayat in Wayanad district. Ramla Usman won in Alathur Town ward in Alathur Panchayat in Palakkad district for 54 votes. Jubairiya Beevi won in Meeyana ward in Velinalloor Panchayat in Kollam district.
Though the alliances could not make a bigger win, the supporters say that the experiment was successful in changing the agenda of the election campaigns of even the powerful UDF and LDF. The fronts which began the campaign with purely political and other issues like the lottery mafia began to talk about local development towards nearing the elections.