UDF keen to retain control over Malappuram

By Our Special Correspondent

MALAPPURAM, JAN. 27. The second phase of polling to the local bodies in Malappuram district to be held on January 29 is critical for the United Democratic Front (UDF), in general, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), in particular.

This is because Malappuram is one of the three districts in the State (the others being Kasaragod and Wayanad) where the UDF won a majority in the district panchayat in the last elections to the local bodies. The LDF had a majority in the remaining 11. Which is why leaders of both the UDF and the IUML are keen to retain control over the Malappuram District Panchayat.

The IUML camp is confident that the results of the January 29 polls will once again demonstrate that its influence in the Muslim-majority area has not diminished.

Unlike in the first phase of polling when the IUML had struck what it chose to describe as tactical alliance with the CPI(M) in 14 panchayats, for the second round of polling on January 29 it has distanced itself from the Marxists.

The Congress which also had poll deal with the Marxists in four panchayats in the first phase of voting held on September 25 has snapped it CPI(M) connection.

A League spokesman said that its members have broken ties with the Marxists in panchayats where they had contested together and won in the first phase of the elections. The "development committees" formed to facilitate joint governance by the CPI(M) and the IUML have been disbanded.

After the first phase of polling in Elamkulam panchayat, the birth place of E.M.S. Namboodiripad, a CPI(M) nominee was the panchayat committee president and an IUML candidate the vice- president of the development committee.

In Edarikode panchayat, an IUML candidate was the panchayat president and CPI(M) nominees were chairpersons of standing committees. This situation has also changed because of the re- think League leadership had about the alliance with the CPI(M).

So in this round of polling, there is no IUML-CPI(M) alliance and the so-called development committees have been disbanded.

Though the district has a long history of soured relations between the IUML and the Congress, leaders of both the parties now claim to have buried their differences.

On the other side of the electoral arena, the LDF is having an overt tie-up with the Indian National League (INL). The INL representatives were present at a press conference in which the LDF announced the details of its seat-sharing exercises for the local bodies poll in Malappuram district.

The CPI(M) is contesting 10 divisions while the INL in five with LDF support. The rest of the seats have been distributed among the other LDF constituents.

But the present tie-up with the INL is unlikely to make any significant difference to the LDF's performance since the alliance, though of a clandestine nature, had existed in the last elections which the UDF had won.

The IUML had posted a comfortable win then despite the LDF striking a clandestine deal with the INL in a bid to cut into the Muslim votes which usually go into the IUML kitty. The LDF leaders said that their front would emerge as a strong force after the polls and improve its position in the district panchayat.

In the present local bodies elections, the strength of the Malappuram District Panchayat has gone up to 30 from 25. In the last district panchayat, the UDF had 21 members, 15 of them IUML members and the remaining Congress members. Of the four seats the LDF had, three were CPI(M) members and one belonged to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Only IUML and Congress candidates would be contesting under the UDF banner this time to the district panchayat. Of the 30 seats, the IUML candidates have been fielded in 20. Denial of seats to the other constituents of the UDF had evoked mild protests. But these are no longer heard in the election scene.

Last time the presidentship of the Malappuram District Panchayat was reserved for woman. But this time it is not though Ms. K.P. Mariumma, who was the Malappuram District Panchayat president, has been fielded from Valancherry. Other prominent UDF leaders contesting again to the district panchayat are Mr. M.C. Mohammed Haji, Mr. T. Moosa, Mr. M. Ummer and Mr. Abdu Rahman Randathani.

In the first phase of polling, voting was held in 81 grama panchayats. Of these the IUML nominees are presidents in 54 while eight have Congress presidents. The CPI(M)-led LDF won the remaining 19.

In the 30 divisions of the district panchayat, woman-voters outnumber men in as many as 22. The district panchayat has an electoral strength of 19,95,147. Of them, 10,09,448 are women and 9,85,699 men. Besides the 30 divisions of the district panchayat, 13 block panchayats, 19 grama panchayats and 57 wards scattered across three block panchayats would also go to the polls.

Poll campaign, which was on a low key and attracted most of the top-rung leaders of both the fronts to Malappuram, ended this evening.

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