Kerala local body polls: BJP’s Muslim candidate registers surprise win in Thrissur Corporation

Thrissur, Dec 13 In a significant political development, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Muslim candidate, Mumtaz, has won the Kannankulangara ward in the Thrissur Corporation elections, wresting the seat from the Congress.

The victory is being viewed as a notable success of the BJP’s strategy to make inroads into Congress-held wards in the corporation. While the party had fielded a well-known entrepreneur this time, Mumtaz’s candidature stood out as both distinctive and unexpected. She was the only Muslim candidate fielded by the BJP in Thrissur.

Mumtaz secured victory from the 35th division of the corporation, a ward with a clear Hindu majority. She and her family have been associated with the BJP as workers and supporters for the past eight years. Over the last two years, she was also entrusted with responsibilities in the party’s Minority Morcha, with a role based in Chennai.

An entrepreneur by profession, Mumtaz runs a pet grooming shop in Thrissur that caters to the care of domestic animals. She has described her candidature as an opportunity to work for and serve her hometown. Earlier, she had said that the development vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew her to the BJP.

A party member for eight years, Mumtaz has been actively involved in BJP activities and election campaigns, including those led by actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi. In the Kannankulangara ward, she defeated Congress candidate Sindhu Chakkolayil, while Seena was the Left Democratic Front (LDF) nominee.

This year’s Thrissur Corporation elections have also highlighted the growing participation of women in local body politics, with as many as 28 women candidates in the fray.

Speaking earlier on her selection as a candidate, Mumtaz had said, “I have been working for the party for the past eight years. The party chose me because it felt I was capable of reaching out to the people. Whether it is my business or my personal life, I am someone who engages actively with society.”

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