KOZHIKODE: Close to 15 Assembly seats in the five districts of Malabar are noticeable either for fierce competition or the presence of VIP candidates. Of them, BJP comes into the picture in Manjeshwaram only. Of the five seats in Kasargod, LDF keeps three and UDF, two. Though BJP repeatedly came second in Manjeshwaram since 1977, a victory is still a dream. Last time, P.B Abdul Razak (UDF) defeated K. Surendran by a margin of 5,828 votes. Mr Surendran had garnered more than 10,000 votes more compared to 2006. Mr Razak, Mr Surendran and C.H. Kunjambu (LDF) are the candidates.
Congress strongman K. Sudhakaran’s candidature has brought the battle in Uduma to the centre stage. Sitting legislator K. Kunhiraman (LDF) who enjoys mass support is taking on Mr Sudhakaran. UDF’s sitting MLA K.P. Mohanan and CPM central secretariat member K.K. Shylaja are locking horns in Kuthuparamba. Kannur offers another interesting battle between Kadannappally Ramachandran (LDF) and Satheeshan Pacheni (UDF).
Azhikode presents a close competition after media personality M.V. Nikesh Kumar came to take on the sitting MLA K.N. Shaji (UDF). Last time, Mr Shaji’s majority was a slender 493 votes. Dharmadam is being noticed for the candidature of CM-in-waiting, Pinarayi Vijayan. Here, the focus is on the majority of votes Mr Vijayan would have.
Coming to Kozhikode, Vadakara keeps yet another nail-biting fight in the state. Along with sitting MLA C.K. Nanu (LDF) and Manayath Chandran (UDF), the candidature of K.K Rema of RMP makes the contest unpredictable. Kozhikode South witnesses an exciting fight with M.K. Muneer (UDF) struggling to make up for the dent in his image. Prof. A.P Abdul Vahab is the LDF candidate here.
In Malappuram, a close contest is going on in Mankada, Thanur and Perinthalmanna seats. In Mankada, sitting MLA T.A. Ahmed Kabeer has a strong rival in T.K. Rasheed Ali of LDF. In Tanur, sitting MLA Abdurahman Randathani (UDF) is taking on LDF supported independent, V. Abdurrahman, the former KPCC secretary. Perinthalmanna sets the ground for a battle between sitting MLA Manjalamkuzhi Ali and V. Shashikumar. Wayanad invites to witness a strong battle in Kalpetta. Sitting MLA M.V. Shreyams Kumar is pitted against CPM district secretary C.K. Saseendran here.
