A series of alleged irregularities in judging at Kerala’s district-level School Kalolsavam competitions has come under judicial scrutiny after students from Kasaragod and Malappuram challenged the outcomes, citing conflicts of interest and manipulated score sheets.

In Kasaragod district, Class XI student Preethika Balakrishnan of BAR Higher Secondary School, Bovikkanam, had written to the Deputy Director of Education (DDE) in mid-December objecting to the appointment of Sasi Pattannur as a judge for the mono act and drama competitions. In her complaint, she stated that Pattannur’s name had been circulated in WhatsApp groups weeks in advance and that he was a close associate of P Sasi Kumar of Nileshwar, a theatre trainer whose students regularly dominated mono-act contests. She also submitted photographs showing the two together to support her claim of a conflict of interest.

Despite the complaint, Pattannur was appointed as judge, and students trained by Sasi Kumar won both the boys’ and girls’ mono-act titles in the higher secondary category. Preethika later said she was placed last among eight participants. She explained that she did not pursue an appeal because her family could not afford the ₹5,000 appeal fee and the additional ₹10,000 deposit required if an appeal is upheld and the student advances to the state level.

In Malappuram district, Ahammed Shibiyaan KP, a Class 10 student of CHM High School, Pookolathur, pursued a similar grievance in the Arabanamuttu group dance competition. After his team was placed fourth at the Malappuram Revenue District School Kalolsavam held from 18-22 November 2025, Shibiyaan’s family paid the appeal fee and sought a review of the results.

When the district-level appeal was rejected on 6 December 2025 by the Higher Appeal Committee headed by DDE Ramlath K K, Shibiyaan used the Right to Information Act to obtain the individual score sheets of the three judges, Muhammed Kasi, Kunhimoidu, and Basheer Pantheerpadam, along with the consolidated mark list. The documents showed discrepancies between the category scores and the totals written on the sheets.

According to the RTI documents, Basheer Pantheerpadam’s sheets contained no corrections, but the other two judges had altered figures. Muhammed Kasi had raised the total of PPM Higher Secondary School, Kottukara, from 83 to 90 by revising all five category scores upward. Kunhimoidu’s sheets showed even larger discrepancies: the total for PPM HSS, Kottukara was written as 93 even though the category scores added up to 82, and PKM HSS, Edarikkode was given 93.5 instead of the actual 83.5. An additional one-point inflation was also recorded for HMY HSS, Manjeri.

When the figures were recalculated correctly, HMY HSS, Manjeri, would have been the winner with 269 out of 300, followed by CHM HS, Pookolathur, with 267. PKM HSS, Edarikkode, would have had 264.5, and PPM HSS, Kottukara, 263. However, because Manjeri did not appeal, and Kottukara’s appeal was accepted on the basis of being within two points of the declared winner, Shibiyaan’s team was initially excluded from the state-level competition.

Shibiyaan then moved the Kerala High Court. On 6 January 2026, Justice VG Arun observed that the manner in which the marks had been calculated and corrected prima facie indicated an attempt at manipulation and directed the State to explain the discrepancies. On 9 January 2026, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas allowed Shibiyaan’s team to participate in the State School Kalolsavam in Thrissur from 14-18 January 2026, based on an interim order.

Advocate Ameen Hassan K, who represented Shibiyaan pro bono, said the legal battle was continuing. He stated that under festival rules, teams that qualify through appeals or court orders are entitled to grace marks only if they secure an A grade and outperform the team originally selected from their district. He argued that since Shibiyaan’s team was effectively the district’s top performer after the corrected calculations, the grace-mark restriction should not apply to them, and he said the court had been asked to address this in the final judgment.

Source: OnManorama

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The post Kerala: RTI Reveals Judges Favoured Teams To The Top At Kalolsavam, High Court Steps In appeared first on The Commune.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key constituent of the Congress-led UDF and a party that has long projected itself as secular, has come under scrutiny ahead of the local body elections after a video of IUML leader Ashraf Edneer went viral on social media. The clip has triggered allegations that the party is seeking votes on religious grounds.

The LDF election committee for Kasaragod municipality has submitted a formal complaint to the State Election Commission, alleging that the statements made in the video constitute a violation of election norms. The video shows Ashraf introducing UDF candidate Shahina Saleem, contesting from Ward 16 (Thuruthi), and describing her as a devout Muslim who prays five times a day and fasts during Ramadan.

What’s happening in Kasargod, Kerala is honestly shocking.

Congress is going around saying, “Our candidate prays 5 TIMES a day… she FASTS… she follows ISLAMIC beliefs… so vote for her.”

Is this election or a religious quota?
This is the level of vote-bank politics in… pic.twitter.com/LLFG8a7qx3

— MAHARATHI (@MahaRathii) December 2, 2025

LDF leaders claim this amounts to appealing for votes using religious identity. In his complaint, T. M. A. Kareem, secretary of the LDF committee in Kasaragod municipality, stated that presenting a candidate primarily through her religious practices creates an indirect comparison with rival candidates and could mislead voters by implying they are less religious.

Ashraf, however, has denied the allegation, saying the viral clip is a selectively edited portion of a 30-minute speech delivered at a women’s meeting on 30 November 2025. He told TNIE that the full speech focused on women’s empowerment, development issues, and the municipality’s socio-political needs, and that the IUML does not engage in communal politics. According to him, the remarks highlighted in the clip were meant to emphasise values, not to use religious practices as a tool for canvassing.

The episode has revived debates around the IUML’s ideological positioning. Social critic and political analyst Hameed Chennamangaloor said the issue underscores a longstanding inconsistency between the League’s public claim of secularism and its political conduct. He argued that a political party can be considered secular only when it avoids invoking religion in its operations, something he believes the IUML has not adhered to. He added that projecting candidates through their religious observance reduces political merit to a question of piety rather than governance.

Advocate C. Shukoor, known for his affinity to the CPM, described the incident as constitutionally and morally serious. He noted that the Constitution prohibits appeals to religion during election campaigns and said the focus should be on ideology, development, inclusivity, and constitutional values. He also criticised the trend of relying on communal and counter-communal narratives, arguing that both the BJP and the IUML are following parallel strategies that weaken the democratic process. Shukoor added that internal dissatisfaction within the League is growing over such approaches.

(Source: The New Indian Express)

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The post Kasargod: “Prays 5 Times A Day, Fasts, Follows Islamic Beliefs, Vote For Her”, Video Showing Congress-Ally IUML Leader Campaigning For UDF Candidate Leads To LDF Complaint To SEC appeared first on The Commune.

As Kerala gears up for its high-stakes local body elections, all eyes are on key battlegrounds like the Thrikarippur locality in Kasaragod district. This area, split into North and South Thrikarippur, serves as a fascinating microcosm of the state’s complex demographic and political dynamics.

A recent video of women covered from head to toe in the Islamic attire of burqa while filing nomination at Thrikarippur, it was reported that the entire UDF (Congress) team was made up of these women. That brings us to the question of the changing demographics in Kerala, especially in this region in Kasargod.

This is not Kabul… not Karachi… not Dhaka…
This is Kerala, Kasaragod, Thrikarippur.!!

For the local body elections, UDF’s (Congress) entire nomination team walks fully covered in burqa.
Not a single other face. Not a trace of diversity.
Just one community, one dress, one… pic.twitter.com/wUQv7cgVIK

— MAHARATHI (@MahaRathii) November 24, 2025

The Locality: A Tale of Two Halves

Thrikarippur is administratively divided into two separate census towns: North Thrikarippur and South Thrikarippur. Together, they form a significant population center with an estimated 59,700 residents in 2025. This reflects substantial growth from the 2011 census figures, underscoring the area’s development.

How the Demographics Define the Landscape

The most defining characteristic of Thrikarippur is its religious composition, which sharply differs between its northern and southern halves. As per the 2011 census the demographics is as follows:

South Thrikarippur is a clear Muslim-majority area, with Muslims constituting 53.88% of the population. Hindus are a significant minority at 45.46%, with very small populations of Christians and other groups.

North Thrikarippur, in contrast, presents a more balanced picture. Here, Hindus form a slim majority at 53.08%, while Muslims make up 45.23% of the population.

This demographic split is crucial for understanding the political undercurrents in the region, where community-based voting often plays a pivotal role.

A Distinct Social Profile

Beyond religion, Thrikarippur exhibits other notable social indicators. South Thrikarippur has an astonishingly high sex ratio of 1225 females per 1000 males, significantly above the state average. The locality is also highly literate, aligning with the Kasaragod district’s average of over 90%, indicating a well-educated and engaged electorate.

The Political Crucible

The demographic divide directly fuels the political contest. The region is a high-stakes battleground where the three major fronts in Kerala—the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)—are locked in a fierce triangular contest.

The UDF, and specifically the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), draws its core strength from the Muslim-majority areas, making South Thrikarippur a key stronghold. The party has historically held significant influence in Kasaragod and views maintaining control here as a matter of pride. Meanwhile, the BJP is working to make inroads, particularly in the Hindu-majority North Thrikarippur and in areas where the political competition is direct, hoping to capitalize on its position as the main opposition in several local bodies.

When the Political Battle Unfolds

This ongoing political struggle is set to culminate with the upcoming local body elections. Kasaragod district, including Thrikarippur, will vote in the second phase on December 11, 2025. The results, to be declared on December 13, will determine the future governance of these localities and provide a critical preview of the political mood ahead of the state assembly polls in 2026.

In essence, Thrikarippur is more than just a locality; it is a dynamic and closely watched arena where Kerala’s demographic realities and intense political rivalries intersect, making it a key bellwether in the state’s continuously evolving political narrative.

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The post Burqa Decides Ballots, Hindus Become Minority In Kerala’s Congress Stronghold Thrikarippur appeared first on The Commune.