How did Muslim League youth leader Fatima Tahilia create history in Kerala? Know the whole story

The decade-long dominance of LDF in Kerala politics has finally ended. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) demonstrated strongly and demolished the Leftist fort and captured the keys to power with an absolute majority. Amidst this wave of change of power in the state, Perambra seat of Kozhikode district is being discussed the most. Here, Fatima Tahilia, the young and firebrand leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), did what even the leftist camp itself had not expected.

Actually, Fatima Tahilia has given a crushing defeat to the senior CPI (M) leader and sitting MLA T.P. Ramakrishnan in Perambara seat. This victory of Fatima, a lawyer by profession, is being seen as the victory of a ‘giant killer’. According to Election Commission data, Fatima Tahilia received a total of 81,429 votes and won by a margin of 5,087 votes.

Defeated the giant, Fatima became ‘Giant Killer’

The contest on Perambra seat was considered very tough. On one side was Ramakrishnan, an experienced LDF leader and sitting MLA, while on the other side was young lawyer Fatima, who contested the assembly elections for the first time. It is being told that the anti-incumbency wave at the local level and Fatima’s popularity among the youth completely changed the course of this contest. Fatima Tahilia, who has been active in IUML’s student and youth politics for a long time, had raised the issue of development and change prominently during the election campaign.

IUML’s big stature in UDF’s victory

The election results of Kerala have made it clear that the role of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has been very important in this historic comeback of UDF. After Congress, IUML has emerged as the party which has won the maximum number of seats in the alliance. In fact, it was the Muslim League’s excellent strike rate that helped the UDF cross the majority mark. The victory of young leaders like Fatima has also indicated that the party is now strengthening its inroads among the voters with new faces and modern thinking.

Kerala’s political mood changed after 10 years

In Kerala, there is usually a tradition of changing the government every five years, but in the last elections, the Left Front broke this tradition by winning again. However, this time UDF fought the elections unitedly and the public also voted in favor of change of power after 10 years. In districts like Kozhikode, where the Left was considered to have a good influence, the UDF’s inroads have surprised political pundits.

According to the local people, Fathima Tahilia’s victory is not just the victory of one seat, but it is a glimpse of the changing Kerala politics. Advocate Fathima thanked her supporters after the victory and said that this victory is a victory of the faith and aspiration of the people of Perambara for change. Now it remains to be seen what new roadmap the new UDF government, which has come to power after 10 years, prepares for Kerala in the coming five years.