IUML candidate takes on former party colleague and now CPI(M) candidate in Kaloor North division

An interesting battle is under way in the Kaloor North division of Kochi Corporation, where both the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have fielded candidates who were previously elected as councillors on Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) tickets and who, at different points, rebelled against the party.

The UDF candidate, T.K. Asharaf, who won the last election as an Independent, has since returned to the IUML and is now contesting as its official candidate. The LDF candidate, P.M. Harris, who won from the division as an IUML candidate in 2015, has since joined the CPI(M). T.P. Pradeep Kumar of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) makes it a predominantly three-cornered contest, though candidates from Twenty20, the Social Democratic Party of India, and an Independent representing the People’s Democratic Party are also in the fray.

Though a four-time councillor, Mr. Asharaf faces a stiff challenge this time, as it is his first contest outside his traditional stronghold of West Kochi. In 2005 and 2015, he won from the Mattancherry division, and in 2010 and 2020 from the neighbouring Kalvathy division. However, Mr. Asharaf remains confident that his two decades of work as a councillor, including ten years as the health standing committee chairperson, makes him a familiar face even beyond his usual turf.

UDF candidate T.K. Ashraf campaigning in the division, appealing to voters ahead of the local body elections.
| Photo Credit:
R.K. Nithin

Development remains his main campaign plank. Having played a decisive role as an Independent in helping the LDF wrest power in 2020, he now campaigns on the development agenda as a UDF candidate. “The decision to support the LDF was based on a localised issue that is not hard to explain. Moreover, my candidacy is proof of the IUML’s trust in me. I am confident of victory based on the work I have done over the years,” Mr. Asharaf said.

Mr. Harris, however, argued that Mr. Asharaf’s limited contacts in the division have proved to be a blessing in disguise, which he believes will work in favour of the LDF. He described his stint with the IUML as a mistake that he corrected by joining the CPI(M), while asserting that he has always been a Leftist. He claimed the division has been predominantly Left, with the last UDF victory recorded in 2015 when he himself contested as an IUML candidate.

“We are expecting nothing short of an easy walkover. BDJS is not a factor at all. A victory in the division, which is home to the CPI(M) district headquarters and the party mouthpiece Deshabhimani, is also prestigious for us,” Mr. Harris said.

NDA candidate T.P. Pradeep Kumar reaching out to residents in the division as part of his campaign.
| Photo Credit:
R.K. Nithin

Mr. Kumar, meanwhile, stated that neither the LDF nor the UDF has helped improve conditions in the division over the years. “People complain that councillors are seen only during election campaigns and disappear afterward. As things stand, the NDA has a very good chance of winning this time,” he said.

The delimitation has hardly altered the division, which has an electorate of over 4,700.