Thiruvananthapuram, March 26 (IANS): The Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency is often considered a bastion of the second-biggest partner in the Congress-led UDF, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), but this time the CPI(M)-led Left and the BJP-led NDA is trying to put up a keen fight.

The Malappuram constituency in Malappuram District came into existence in 2009 by carving out areas from the erstwhile Manjeri Lok Sabha constituency and the IUML lost this seat just once in 2004 to the CPI(M).

This time the IUML has decided to swap its sitting MPs and hence ET Mohammed Basheer who represented the Ponnani Lok Sabha seat has been fielded from Malappuram, after moving Abdussamad Samadani to the Ponnani seat.

Veteran Basheer, a soft-spoken leader is also a former State Education Minister and a popular face in the constituency. Taking him on is the young Turk V Vaseef, a schoolteacher-turned-state President of the DYFI the youth wing of the CPI(M).

The BJP has fielded former Vice Chancellor of the Calicut University, Dr M Abdul Salam, who is no stranger in the district as he was the BJP’s candidate in the 2021 Assembly polls from the Tirur constituency in Malappuram District.

Looking back at the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, IUML strongman PK Kunhalikutty won this seat with a huge margin of 2.60 lakh votes, but in 2021 after he decided to contest for the Assembly seat he quit and his replacement Abdussamad Samadani, won, but with a reduced margin of 1.14 lakh votes. This is being seen as a positive sign for both the CPI(M) and the BJP.

However, the IUML is unfazed as they know that they are a huge force in the district as all the seven Assembly segments in the Lok Sabha constituency have been won by them in the 2021 Assembly polls.

Kerala goes to the polls on April 26 to elect 20 Lok Sabha members.