MALAPPURAM: Vengara will be a cakewalk for the IUML. But the party is leaving nothing to chance and has launched an intense electioneering in its bastion. Besides the local and district leaders and office-bearers, the IUML has roped in 17 party MLAs to conduct the election work throughout the six panchayats in the constituency. Three MLAs each have been assigned each panchayat and they will supervise and monitor the campaign for Mr K.N.A Khader, the UDF candidate.
“Though there is no concern about the outcome, we have taken the election seriously to keep the majority intact,” said Mr U.A. Latheef, newly-appointed district general secretary of IUML. The district office-bearers will also be appointed for the booth monitoring, he said. The whopping majority is a prestige issue for the party. In the 2016 Assembly elections, Mr P.K. Kunhalikutty had won with a majority of 38,057 votes which was more than the total votes (34,124) garnered by LDF candidate P.P Basheer, who is contesting this time too.
The majority had further increased to 40,529 votes in the Lok Sabha poll held in April this year. The Congress too is working in tandem with IUML bringing in its six young MLAs to each of the six panchayats. “This is our responsibility as the main constituent of the UDF. We have taken the by-election seriously as a democratic process,” said district Congress committee president V.V. Prakash.
KC(M) may support IUML in Vengara
The Kerala Congress (M) may support the Indian Union Muslim League in the Vengara by-election. Party chairman K. M. Mani may also campaign for League candidate K.N.A. Khader, the sources said. The KC (M) had previously supported Mr P.K. Kunhalikutty in the Malappuram Lok Sabha byelection in April after severing its ties with the UDF. Mr Mani, who campaigned for Mr Kunhalikutty, had said that his support was not for the UDF. This time also, the KC(M) will follow the same policy, said the sources.
