Kannur: When Rajeena P K (35) stood for election from Edayannur ward, her party, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), threw her a challenge, along with a promise. “My party said it would buy me a scooter if I won with the highest margin,” she recalls.

Rajeena won by the biggest margin recorded by any member in Keezhallur grama panchayat in Kannur district. She polled 720 votes. Her nearest rival V Shija of the CPM polled 162 votes, while BJP candidate C Anusha got 83 votes. Rajeena’s winning margin of 558 votes was the highest in the 16-ward panchayat.

On Tuesday, July 28, Rajeena’s party will fulfil its promise. The Muslim League’s Edayannur branch will hand over a new electric scooter to her, not just as a reward for winning an election, but as a means to help her serve her ward better and faster. “We want her to reach the people in her ward faster. At the same time, we did not want her to be burdened by rising fuel costs,” said former ward member Shabeer Edayannur.

IUML Edayannur branch president Rafeeq Edayannur has sponsored the scooter.

For Rajeena, it is a practical gift. Edayannur is a large ward with around 400 families spread across a wide area. As a ward member, she is expected to be available to people at all times. Until now, getting around the ward was itself a challenge. “I used to hire autorickshaws to go around my ward and to the panchayat office. Sometimes I would borrow my neighbour’s scooter,” she says.

Two weeks ago, Rajeena visited a two-wheeler dealer and paid an advance for a petrol scooter. But when Rafeeq learnt about it, he asked her to take the advance back. The party, he told her, would keep its promise.

Rajeena does not have a regular job. She studied up to Class XI and, before entering electoral politics, worked as a clerical staff at Shabeer's ward member office.

It was the same ward she would later contest from, and win with a margin that surprised even the most optimistic among her supporters.

Edayannur is part of Keezhallur grama panchayat, which also includes the Kannur International Airport. The panchayat is controlled by the LDF, with 12 of its 16 members being CPM members. The UDF has only four members. Yet, Rajeena secured the biggest winning margin in the panchayat.

The election took place against the backdrop of growing discontent among many residents over the proposed expansion of the airport runway. Residents in the affected areas have alleged that restrictions linked to the expansion have left them unable to sell their land or raise loans against their property for their children's education and marriages.

UDF leaders say there was genuine anger against the LDF government over the issue. They also allege that delimitation changes made by the previous government worked against the UDF, allowing it to win some wards by large margins but leaving it with fewer seats overall.

But in Edayannur, they decided to celebrate Rajeena's electoral victory. The scooter will be handed over to her by Edayannur's own NRI businessman T P Mohammed Sahib, who is based in Saudi Arabia. Kasaragod MLA and IUML district president Kallatra Mahin, IUML Kannur district president Abdul Kareem Cheleri and Kannur Corporation deputy mayor K P Thahir will attend the function.