By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Malappuram: The Social Democratic Party of India marked its presence in the Kerala local body polls by winning 10 wards, including four in municipalities. The party’s candidates won six village Panchayat wards and a block Panchayat division also.
KP Sufeera won in the Kasanakotta South ward in the Kannur Municipality, bagging 325 votes. She defeated Haseena P of INL for 35 votes. Subaida Teacher won the Keerikode ward in Thodupuzha Municipality in Idukki district gaining 310 votes. Shilaja S won in the Kulashekharapathi ward in Pathanamthitta Municipality bagging 244 votes. Beena, independent candidate supported by the SDPI, won the Municipal Office ward in Shornor Municipality in Palakkad district.
Notable is the victory of Prof Anas who is presently in jail for his alleged involvement in the attack on professor accused of blasphemy. Anas won from the Vanchinadu division in the Vazhakkulam block in Ernakulam district for a lead of 1903 votes. He bagged 3992 votes while the UDF’s MA Muhammed (INC) got 2089 and LDF’s Muhammed Kunju Sulaiman (Cong-S) got only 1666. Anas was arrested by the police following the attack on Prof Joseph of Newman College in Thodupuzha. Anas was a teacher in the Ilahiya Arts and Science College in Muvattupuzha and was reportedly dismissed by the college authorities when he was arrested by police and accused in the case. Anas is accused of having given protection to those who attacked Prof Joseph.
NN Binu Narayanan won from the Mathakkal ward of Erattupetta village Panchayat in Kottayam district. Shamila Kabeer won in the Pazhunnan ward in Chowannur village Panchayat in Thrissur district. Maimoona defeated Muslims League’s Rukhiya for 63 votes in Machampady ward in Manjeswaram in Kasargode district. Amina A defeated SSalekkathu Beevi of Congress for 145 votes in the Mayyathumkara ward in Poruvazhi village Panchayat in Kollam district. Two independents supported by the SDPI also won in good margins in Kollam and Malappuram districts. A Nassar won for 418 votes in Mannadisseri ward in Kulashekharapuram village Panchayat and Khadeeja Samsu won for 263 votes in Areekulam ward in Vengara village Panchayat. The candidates of the SDPI (Seenath Jaleel) and the Muslim League (Najumi Shamsu) have bagged 379 votes each in the Kununnikkara ward in Kadungallur village Panchayat in Ernakulam district which now remains as a tie.
The victory of SDPI shows the response for the alienation of the political empowerment of the Dalit-minority sections labeling ‘terrorism’, analysed the party stat secretariat. It opined that the huge victory of the UDF was brought about by the anti-incumbency factor against the LDF government and the UDF’s relation with the BJP. The minorities and Dalits have encountered unjustifiable torture from the hands of the police in this government. The secretariat also thanked the people of Kerala for helping the party open its account in the state. Party president Adv KP Muhammed Shareef presided over the meeting held in Kozhikode.
The party which inaugurated its entry into electoral politics in the state by the Assembly by-elections last year has now marked its presence in 10 districts. The SDPI managed to win wards in four municipalities, a block Panchayat and six village panchayats. In several wards it lost reportedly for a small number of votes. P Abdul Majeed Faisy, party general secretary, had contested in the Kannur Assembly by-elections in November 2009 but could get only around 3500 votes.