Kasaragod: Supporters of an Indian National League (INL) candidate were caught on CCTV camera issuing death threats to his namesake, after realising, rather late in the day, that he too was in the fray in a tightly contested ward of Kasaragod’s Chemnad panchayat.

The supporters of INL’s Abdul Rahiman K M, contesting in Kalnad Ward (No. 16), can be heard warning that they would “finish off” Abdur Rahman M A if their candidate lost in the December 11 election. The INL is an ally of the CPM and part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
The trio marched into Abdur Rahman’s supermarket at Chaliyamkode around 2.30 pm on Tuesday -- the last day of campaigning -- and delivered their threats between shelves of groceries and packaged snacks.

In 2015, Abdul Rahiman K M defeated the IUML in Kalnad by 142 votes. In 2020, his wife, Maimoona Abdulrahman, retained the seat but scraped through by just six votes. That razor-thin win appears to have kept the INL camp on edge this time, especially after discovering that a namesake had filed his nomination and stayed put.

Adding to their panic, the independent candidate, Abdur Rahman, drew the umbrella symbol in the lot -- the same symbol the INL had contested the last time. This year, the INL got the scales, while its district panchayat candidate again received the umbrella.

In the video, the supporters accuse Abdur Rahman of attempting to “steal the ward” from Abdul Rahiman. “The poor man has been slogging for his village for 10 years. Ask any child in Kalnad. This is cheating,” one of them says.

Unfazed, Abdur Rahman calmly tells them they should have visited him after the scrutiny of nominations and not on the eve of polling. When contacted, he said this was his first election and that he was contesting to win. He denied being part of any IUML strategy.

Special Branch officers later visited him, but he refused to press charges. “I run a business. Elections will come and go. I have to see these same people tomorrow, too,” he said with a laugh.