Seeking the people’s mandate in absentia

The voters of the Karingamana ward of the Thamarassery grama panchayat in Kozhikode would be the only ones who might not have seen one of the key contestants during the ongoing campaigning even once. Sainul Abideen, a candidate fielded by the Indian Union Muslim League, is contesting the election in absentia, the only one among the 75,000-plus candidates in the fray. Mr. Abideen, who headed the action council against the Fresh Cut poultry waste rendering plant in Ambayathode, went into hiding on October 21, 2025, the day the protest took a violent turn. The police are on the look out for him for allegedly fomenting the violence on October 21. It’s his party colleagues who filed his nomination paper and are taking care of his electioneering.