Malappuram: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) is reportedly set to break with its traditional strategy in the Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency by nominating a party member as its candidate in the upcoming elections.
Historically, the party has deployed independent candidates against the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) stronghold. But the current decision comes in an attempt to leverage internal divisions within the EK Sunni faction and capitalise on the perceived anti-incumbency of the sitting MP, E T Muhammed Basheer.
According to Malappuram district secretary E N Mohandas, while the party initially considered their stance, the final decision will rest with the state leadership, which may change if a suitable independent candidate emerges.
Despite this, the party appears poised to field DYFI State President V Waseef, a native of Kozhikode, though his candidacy has not been officially announced. Waseef, with long-standing ties to party ideologies since childhood, is expected to create a fresh momentum among youth and party members.
CPM’s strategy in the last three elections, including the nomination of P V Anvar in 2019 and V Abdu Rahiman in 2014, failed to IUML's hold. However, despite the party's high expectations, they have only managed to generate a significant fight in 2014 where the majority was 25,410, the lowest ever against E T Muhammed Basheer. In the most recent election, the margin increased to just under 200,000 votes.
