Six rounds of shock: Youth leader VP Abdul Rasheed who kept Pinarayi trailing

KANNUR: Youth Congress leader V.P. Abdul Rasheed, who notably reduced CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan’s majority in the Taliparamba constituency in 2021, has sent shockwaves through Leftist strongholds this time in Dharmadam. Rasheed kept Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan trailing for the first six rounds of counting, eventually slashing the CM’s previous victory margin from 50,123 votes to 19,247.

Counting drama

Dharmadam remained on the edge of a major upset from the start of the counting process:

• Round 1: UDF took an early lead of 733 votes.
• Round 2: The lead surged to 2,523.
• Round 4: The lead widened further to 2,812.
• Round 6: After six rounds, Pinarayi Vijayan was still trailing by 647 votes.

It was only in the seventh round that the Chief Minister managed to take the lead for the first time. Ultimately, after 15 rounds of counting, Pinarayi Vijayan secured a "relief victory" with a majority of 19,247 votes.

Campaign strategy

Reflecting on the performance, Abdul Rasheed stated that his campaign in Dharmadam relied on grassroots work rather than massive public rallies or celebrity campaigning. He noted that when a senior leader called him one night to inform him of his candidacy in Dharmadam, he accepted the challenge immediately, despite having spent the last five years working extensively in Taliparamba.

Background

Abdul Rasheed, a native of Cherupuzha, Payyannur, completed his law studies at the Palayad Campus in the Dharmadam constituency. During his student days, he attended classes under police protection for a year following intelligence reports of threats to his life.

Currently, he serves as the State General Secretary of the Youth Congress and is the youngest member of the KPCC. For the past six years, he has been a resident of Pothuvachery in Dharmadam.