MALAPPURAM: The Lok Sabha byelection has come as a big relief for the Muslim League which, despite winning all the seven Assembly seats in the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency in the 2016 elections, had faced tough challenge from the LDF, especially in Mankada and Perinthalmanna. The party has made significant strides in all the constituencies and widened the margin many fold in the two constituencies. The result also gives the party the confidence to claim the custodianship of Muslims even as the BJP-led NDA is making big gains all over the country and the LDF government in Kerala is seen not sufficiently stern in dealing with issues that concern the minorities, especially the recent murders of Faisal in Kodinhi and Riyaz Moulavi in Kasargod.

Though the LDF has managed to bag 1,01,323 more votes compared with its tally in the 2014 elections, it failed to maintain the advantage it held in the assembly segments. Altogether, the LDF’s assembly vote share of 3,73,881 has come down to 3,44,307 in the bypoll. The party’s wafer thin majorities of 1,508 in Mankada and 579 in Perinthalmanna have now become 19,262 and 8,527, respectively. This erosion of LDF votes can be attributed to the trust deficit of the Muslim community as on several occasions the community had expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s approach in communally sensitive issues. Besides this, the handling of Jishnu Pranoy issue added to an anti-government sentiment during the final phase of electioneering. The only gain the LDF can count besides the increase of vote share is the emergence of a new Muslim leader, M.B. Faisal, in the district who will be an asset for the party in the electoral politics.