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Kerala / The New Indian Express

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UDF-Welfare split sets stage for high-voltage fight in Mukkam

KOZHIKODE: Five years ago, Mukkam municipality stood balanced, 15 seats on one side, 15 on the other, and a single rebel tipping the scales of power. This time, the picture is far more chaotic. The UDF-Welfare Party alliance has snapped, the LDF is on a stronger footing, and rebels old and new are back in the spotlight. With 34 divisions and no clear favourite, Mukkam is heading into an election where every ward has its own drama and each vote can rewrite the councils future. For years, the UDF-Welfare pact played a decisive role in Mukkam politics. In 2020, both LDF and UDF secured 15 seats each, the BJP won two, and a League rebel clinched one seat. UDF secured 15 seats only because of Welfare Partys support, which contested four seats and won three. This time, it demanded five divisions, while the Congress-led UDF was willing to concede only two. With negotiations failing, Welfare Party moved ahead with its own candidates, weakening UDFs prospects, especially in areas like Chennamangallur, where the former enjoys overwhelming influence. The LDF, which managed to form the council in 2020 with the support of League rebel Muhammed Abdul Majeed, is performing strongly on the ground this time. Front leaders expect to win more than 10 seats, which could shift the political balance and potentially deny UDF power. With UDF and Welfare Party contesting separately, the biggest question now is: whom will the latter support after the results? This single factor could determine who forms the next council. Preparations have begun in full swing by the Welfare Party in different parts of Mukkam region. Party workers have launched various activities including candidate photoshoots and flag installations. UDF has also initiated its campaign, announcing K V Jabbar as an independent supported by it in Division 19. UDF leaders in Chennamangallur have criticised the Welfare Party, claiming that the area saw only small municipal-funded developments in the last term. They argue that Welfare Party councillors lacked the political reach to secure substantial state or central development funds, unlike traditional mainstream parties. League leader K P Ahammedkutty from Chennamangallur says future negotiations with UDF will be impossible for the Welfare Party if it is not ready to understand the political situation in Mukkam. Senior political leaders from the region agree that failing to reach an understanding with Welfare Party could prove a major setback for UDF in a municipality known for tight races. The wild card in this election is once again Muhammed Abdul Majeed, the League rebel who supported the LDF in 2020. He won the Irattakulangara ward in 2020 by defeating UDFs Shereef Vennakkode by 16 votes (328 vs. 312). Last year, Majeed withdrew his support from LDF and joined UDF in tabling a no-confidence motion, which failed due to lack of quorum. This time again, he is contesting as an independent. He maintains that development work worth `2.5 crore completed in his ward will earn him support. Interestingly, Shereef Vennakkode has again been named the UDF candidate in the ward, setting the stage for a rematch. Adding further complications for UDFs regional prospects, in ward 7 (Punnakkal) of the neighbouring Thiruvambady panchayat, Youth Congress mandalam secretary Jithin Pallat has decided to contest as a rebel against Tomy Konnakkal, the official UDF nominee. This internal conflict may ripple into the Mukkam political atmosphere as well. With the extra division added and shifting alliances, no front is expected to secure a clear majority on its own.

28 Nov 2025 7:37 am