The CPI(M)-turned-Congress-turned-BJP leader A P Abdullakutty contesting as an NDA candidate for the Lok Sabha bypoll at Malappuram constituency in North Kerala is unlikely to help the party surge in the Indian Union Muslim League's stronghold.
Abdullakutty joined the BJP last year and he was made national vice president of the saffron party, which was considered as minority appeasement move.
A former CPI(M) MP and Congress MLA, Abdullakutty was often referred to as 'Albhudakutty' (wonder kid) as he retained his victory spree in elections even after jumping over form the left camps to the Congress. He was expelled by the Congress in 2019 after he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2009 he was expelled from CPI(M) for the same reason.
Malappuram has been a strong hold of the Indian Union Muslim League. Party leader P K Kunhalikutty won with a thumping majority of 2.6 lakh votes in 2019. Then BJP candidate polled only around 82,000 votes against 5.8 lakh of Kunhalikutty.
The constituency is going for bypolls as Kunhalikutty quit to contest in this Assembly polls. IUML has fielded senior leader Abdussamad Samadani this time, while the CPI(M) has fielded SFI leader V P Sanu who contested against Kunhalikutty in 2019 and came second. SDPI's national secretary Taslim Rehmani is also contesting from Malappuram for the April 6 bypolls.
(Published 04 April 2021, 15:34 IST)
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