Kunhalikutty keeps Malappuram with record margin

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) had proved yet again that Malappuram was an invincible bastion of the party when the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced on Thursday.

IUML national general secretary and incumbent P.K. Kunhalikutty emerged victorious by more than 2.60 lakh votes, the second biggest margin in the State after Rahul Gandhi’s 4.31 lakh in Wayanad.

Mr. Kunhalikutty scripted the biggest margin in the history of the constituency ever since it was formed in the 2008 delimitation. He defeated the Left Democratic Front (LDF)’s young candidate V.P. Sanu, whose candidature had created much hype on certain campuses and the social media.

Mr. Kunhalikutty said he was happy to have been pushed to the second position in the margin of victory by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate V. Unnikrishnan polled 82,332 votes. BJP’s N. Sreeprakash had polled 65,675 votes in the Lok Sabha byelection held in Malappuram in 2017 following the death of E. Ahamed.

Ahamed had been elected from Malappuram by 1.94 lakh votes in 2014. In the byelection held in April 2017, Mr. Kunhalikutty was elected with a thumping lead of 1.71 lakh against LDF’s M.B. Faizal.

In none of the four Lok Sabha elections held since 2009, the LDF fielded a candidate with potential capability to win the IUML votes in Malappuram.

SDPI candidate Abdul Majeed Faizy polled 19,095 votes in spite of a vigorous campaign that progress of Malappuram district would be possible only through them.

Mr. Kunhalikutty maintained lead over Mr. Sanu in all Assembly segments under Malappuram. When he secured a lead of more than 39,000 votes in Kondotty, his lead in Manjeri was more than 36,000. In Perinthalmanna, he had a lead of 23,000 votes, in Mankada 35,000 votes, in Malappuram 45,000, in Vengara 51,000, and in Vallikkunnu more than 29,000.

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