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Manjeri vanishes, Malappuram surfaces Delimitation Impact

MALAPPURAM: The delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies has seen the birth of a new constituency and the disappearance of another one in Malappuram district.

More than the formation of the Malappuram constituency what bemuses political watchers is the vanishing of the Manjeri constituency. Even Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) top leaders jokingly say that the party cannot recapture Manjeri from the LDF and that the LDF will never win again in Manjeri.

That constituency, where the LDF’s T.K. Hamza made history by delivering a stunning defeat to the IUML in the last general elections, has been scrapped. Instead, Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency was formed with the Assembly constituencies of Mankada, Perinthalmanna, Kondotty, Manjeri, Malappuram, Vengara and Vallikkunnu. Of these, Vengara and Vallikkunnu are newly formed Assembly constituencies. Nilambur and Wandoor, two Assembly constituencies that were part of the Manjeri Lok Sabha constituency, will now be part of the Kalpatta Lok Sabha constituency. Similarly, the newly formed Ernad Assembly constituency in Malappuram district will also be part of the Kalpatta Lok Sabha constituency.

Ponnani, the other Lok Sabha constituency in the district, too will have some changes. It will have the Assembly constituencies of Tirurangadi, Tanur, Tirur, Kottakkal, Tavanur, Ponnani and Thrithala, with the last one being in Palakkad district. Tavanur and Kottakkal are among the five newly formed Assembly seats in Malappuram.

The delimitation has apparently brought cheer to both the UDF and the LDF. More so to the former, as Malappuram offers the IUML a sure seat to guard.

“The increase of Assembly constituencies in Malappuram district from 12 to 16 has brightened our prospects not only in Assembly but in the general elections as well,” said K.P.A. Majeed, IUML district general secretary.

CPI(M) district secretary K. Ummer was also equally confident of the LDF’s prospects in the district. “The voting pattern will be different for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. If we can upset a bastion like Manjeri, then nothing remains invincible for us… especially with our party making advances in the district,” he said.

There is no two opinion among CPI(M) or Muslim League leaders that upsets can be staged even in the safest constituency. The fall of the Manjeri Lok Sabha seat and the Kuttippuram Assembly seat were the recent lessons for the IUML.

The UDF sees only Perinthalmanna under the Malappuram constituency and Tavanur under the Ponnani constituency slightly vulnerable. All other constituencies, including Thrithala, currently in the LDF hold, can be easily pocketed, say UDF leaders.

For the LDF, though, there is no such safe bet. Hard work will pay anywhere, its leaders believe. They have lessons of Manjeri, Kuttippuram, Tirur and Mankada.

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Manjeri vanishes, Malappuram surfaces Delimitation Impact

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