KOZHIKODE: After Ponnani, CPM activists took to the streets in Kozhikode Kuttyadi to protest the allotment of Kuttiyadi seat to the Mani faction of the Kerala Congress. Activists are demanding that KP Kunhammad Kutty, a CPM district secretariat member and former district panchayat president, contest in Kuttyadi which is a party seat.

Posters raising this demand have appeared in the last few days in Velam in Kuttiyadi. The local leadership of the party had earlier informed the upper committees that the decision to give the Kuttyadi constituency to the Kerala Congress (M) Jose faction would create a big problem within the party. There were strong protests against the leadership on social media and in party groups.

There are protests in Velam, Kuttyadi, Ayancherry, Villappally, Maniyoor, Tiruvallur, Purameri and Kunnummal. The party had earlier decided to field KP Kunhammed Kutty in the constituency. It was later decided to give the constituency to the Kerala Congress, a constituent party of the Left Front.

Kunhammad Kutty was considered as the CPM candidate in Kuttiyadi in the last assembly elections as well. But later KK Lathika became the candidate here. At that time, Lathika lost to Parakkal Abdullah of the Muslim League by 1157 votes. Campaign activities in the constituency have been slow since Kunhammad Kutty was not nominated.

The senior CPM leaders in Kuttiyadi also admit that giving the constituency to the Kerala Congress M, who has no influence in the constituency, has drained the enthusiasm of the workers. They are also worried that the party could lose in the constituency if the sentiments of the workers dissatisfied with the decision on the candidate are reflected in the election. For similar reasons, the CPM unit in Malappuram Ponnani has come out with a public protest.