Kerala Local Body Polls: UDF on Backfoot in 3rd Phase as Alliance Leaders Under Scanner for Corruption Cases

Four north Kerala districts will go to polls on Thursday, December 14, in the third phase of the local body elections in the state. The districts—Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod—which are going to polls are to prove a crucial testing ground for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) which has allied with Welfare Party, the political wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.    

Unlike southern districts, north Kerala is a stronghold of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest party in UDF which had taken the initiative to ally with Welfare party. The Congress, however, has been denying the understanding with Welfare party, especially during the election campaigns in Southern districts. 

Initially, UDF and Congress had witnessed a conflict within the party over the reported understanding with the Welfare Party as a result of which the Congress leadership has been issuing contradictory statements on the issue. Reportedly, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran was opposed to any ‘alliance’ with Welfare Party, while UDF convener MM Hassan was in favour of it. However, later the Congress leadership, which was against the Welfare Party softened their stand. 

Meanwhile, a few among the Congress leadership have maintained their silence on the issue, believing that the party has been trapped by the IUML. In many parts of these northern districts in Kerala, the IUML-Welfare alliance seems to have cornered the Congress. The IUML’s understanding with the Welfare Party has been known for long. Even during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the IUML leadership reportedly had secret negotiations with Welfare Party leaders. According to reports, IUML believes that the understanding with Welfare Party would help the party from losing its grip over strongholds.

Also read: Kerala Local Elections: Second Phase to Test Future of India’s First Corporate-Run Panchayat

However, if one takes a look at the 2015 local body election results, IUML’s votes had drifted away from their bastions in Malappuram. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), meanwhile, has made considerable progress in the district. The recent voting trends also shows that IUML’s vote shares have been shrinking in the district. 

In 2015, IUML strongholds like Ponnani, Perinthalmanna and Tirur had seen CPI(M)-led LDF making inroads. The Welfare Party and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) had also made significant gains. In 2015, SDPI won 51 seats and Welfare party had bagged 42 seats and had come second in 50 other seats.

In Malappuram, LDF had bagged 27 panchayats of the total 94, a significant rise from eight in the previous polls. The LDF had also secured a clear majority in Perinthalmanna and Ponnani municipalities and won 19 against the UDF’s 18 in Tirur.

According to political observers, the LDF making inroads in IUML strongholds has triggered them to ally with the Welfare Party, which was at one time considered as a communal party.

In Kasargod as well, another stronghold of IUML, the party has been facing a backlash after the arrest of Manjeswaram MLA MC Kamarudheen.

 Kamarudheen was arrested in a cheating case on November 11 and is currently under judicial custody. Several cases- over 25- have been registered against Kamarudheen for cheating investors in a company named Fashion Gold which was reportedly set up by him along with another IUML leader, Pookoya Thangal, in the year 2017 with 700 investors. 

The Kannur Corporation is also among the local bodies which witnesses tough fights. In 2015 elections, both LDF and UDF had secured 27 seats each and one had gone to an independent candidate. The position of the independent proved and he allied with the LDF for the first four years. But since the last one year, the independent councillor has allied with UDF in the corporation. 

The arrest of IUML MLA in a cheating case is expected to cause serious setbacks for the party in Kasargod district and in the northern districts in general. The UDF, which has been projecting a “corruption free governance”, is struggling to deal with the corruption cases of their own elected representatives.