Muslim Marxist makes headway

Kathuparamba: His name is the first thing that attracts your attention. A Muslim and a Marxist?

Early on Tuesday morning as we drive from Sandapadi to Kathuparamba, in his Ponnani constituency, Paloly Mohammad Kutty keeps up a gentle but pointed banter on a variety of subjects. But on the issue of whether a Marxist can also be a practising Muslim, he gives no direct answers.

There's little doubt his meteoric rise in the ranks of this classless, casteless party is due to his faith. Or lack of it. His appeal is to the hundreds of poor Muslims here who don't get a look in at the Muslim League, which Paloly unhesitatingly labels "a party of the rich, for the rich, by the rich."

"As a politician you are moved to act by the plight of the people. You want to provide for them. This is why you join politics," he says, either deliberately misunderstanding the question or determined not to have his man of the people persona altered in any way.

The antithesis of the traditional table-thumping, jargon spouting Marxist, the polite Paloly is chief minister material. He's the dark horse who could be picked by the central Politburo to lead any future state government, after the unseemly row between the crusty V.S. Achudanandan and organisationally powerful Pinarayi Vijayan spilled out in the open.

VS supporters were out on the streets of the capital, their protests duplicated in the far north where blood feuds colour the political divide. Vijayan, who has strong support at the state politburo, was not given a seat. VS, after the street marches did.

Paloly was always going to be given a chance to replicate the parliamentary giant-killer T K Hamza who stole Manjeri from under the nose of the League.

At the time, the Marxists were blown away by their unexpected win, but Paloly insists "we knew at least ten days before polling that there was a strong chance of an upset victory." In Ponnani and Kuttipuram, the Marxists are hoping for another Manjeri. It could still happen.

The League's Muslim vote, previously monolithic, has splintered. League women's president Qamarunissa's admission "it's not easy countering the People's Democratic Party led by the fire-breathing Quran expounding Abdul Nissar Madani" is an indicator of the uphill battle it fights in these parts even though they are Muslim majority.

Going door to door asking for a vote for the League, she would find that Madani's men had been there before them or came back after they had left. "We had to start all over again."

The League is facing a steady erosion of its vote from other groups like the Jamaat-Islami, the Sunnis, the Mujahids. "The quality of leaders that the League once had, like Thangalsaab senior and Koyasaab, you do not find in present day leaders like Kunhalikutty. The things you hear about Kunhalikutty would never have been said about them. Previously people were led like cattle to vote, today, they are asking questions, they want answers.

"All these parties have followed wrong policies. First the Congress used Madani, and then when the differences became too huge, he was thrown in jail. Now it's coming back to haunt them."

Opponent will not succeed

Kathuparamba: Don't let Paloly Mohammad Kutty's mild-mannered façade fool you. The real man emerged when he talked about former Congressman K Karunakaran, who quit the Congress and kept up an unfailing diatribe against it this last year .

It's Paloly who's seen as being largely responsible for unceremoniously dumping Karunakaran after the reds used the Congress warhorse's key support to win the council elections. He's matter of fact. "For a parliamentary election it would not have worked. Indira Congress wanted it but it would have been political suicide for us. The party decided it would not be right."

Standing against Paloly in Ponnani is a Democratic Indira Congress candidate Gangadharan, an opponent who resigned as member of the legislative assembly when he broke with the Congress to join Karunakaran's party.

"Imagine for one full year, this constituency did not have a representative because he chose to resign. For that one year he has done nothing but attack the Congress on the fact that there's been no development. Now he's back with them. Nobody believes in him. Tell me, do you think he stands a chance?"