Featured Image: Representational Photograph | Credits: Firstpost
In the Muslim-majority constituency of Ponnani in Kerala’s Malappuram district, the candidate announced by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), P Nandakumar was rejected by the Muslims in that area.
The reason for the CPM candidate’s rejection was that he was Hindu.
Muslim party members are demanding his candidature be cancelled and instead, want TM Siddique as the party’s candidature for the Muslim-majority-constituency. Protesters took out a march from Chandhapadi to Ponnani with a banner and the slogan ‘Party corrects the leaders and people correct the party’ on it.
CPM district leadership said the protesters are not leaders or members of the party. “The party will study the reason for the protest and find out the details of the organisers of the protest. The protesters are not leaders or members of the party,” said E N Mohandas, CPM Malappuram district secretary.
However, the protesters slammed the statement of the CPM district leadership which claimed that they were not members of the party. “The party wins the elections with the votes of the local people who may not be members or leaders of the party. So, the statement from the party that the protesters are not the party members makes no sense,” said a protester.
It is an open secret that Communists in Kerala have always joined forces with the Islamists. These protests are an indication that where party workers and voters want a candidate to be of the same religion as them.
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