Kasargod: A total of seven candidates have announced that they will be contesting in the upcoming by-election in the Manjeshwar Assembly constituency. The last date for filing the nomination was Thursday, October 3.
Independent candidate K Abdullah withdrew his nomination from the by-polls on the same day.
The by-election is scheduled to be held on October 21 and the vote-counting process will be carried out on October 24.
The candidates for the by-polls are M C Khamaruddin (U D F – I U M L, symbol: ladder), Raveesha Tantri Kuntaru (BJP, symbol: lotus), M Shankara Rai (LDF – CPI M, symbol: sword, hammer, and star), Govindan (API, symbol: coat),
Khamaruddin MC (Independent, symbol: flute), Joan de Soja (Independent, symbol: autorickshaw) and Rajesh B (Independent, symbol – diamond).
In the 2016 Vidhan Sabha elections, UDF party candidate Abdul Razak won by 89 votes and BJP’s KK Surendran lost by only a few votes.
The upcoming by-polls is said to be a crucial one for the UDF party. But UDF candidate MC Khamaruddin is already facing some challenges as an independent candidate bearing the name Khamaruddin MC has also filed his nomination papers for the by-polls. This is risky because if the votes are misled and go in favour of the independent candidate, then it will be a loss for the UDF party.
The last minute nomination of independent candidate Khamaruddin MC has become a major concern for the UDF party and its candidate for the by-polls in Manjeshwar.