In Lakshadweep, boats out to catch floating votes

Tricolour flags flutter on the masts of boats in the backdrop of the bright turquoise sea as candidates try to find vessels to reach out to voters in the 10 inhabited islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, which goes to polls in a single phase on April 19.
Sitting MP Mohammed Faizal PP is seeking re-election but this time he doesn’t have the clock symbol that got him elected for the past two terms.In 2019, 46,909 voters cast their votes and Muhammed Hamdullah Sayeed of Congress lost by a mere 823 votes. In 2014, Faizal beat Sayeed by a margin of 1,535 votes. Sayeed is contesting again for Congress. With NCP splitting, Yousuf TP has been fielded by the official faction while Faizal is contesting as a candidate of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Apart from the two main parties — NCP and Congress — candidates contested under the banner of CPM, CPI, BJP, and JD(U) in 2019. These parties secured a total of 2,030 votes, more than the victory margin. But this year, only three political parties are in the fray, apart from an independent; and these 2,000-odd votes could very well decide the winner.
Faizal says that the voters in Lakshadweep are smart enough to choose the right candidate. “Lakshadweep has a small number of voters, and they are very familiar with the name and photo. Not having the clock sym bol wouldn’t matter much. BJP contested here in the last two elections, and it is not contesting this year, making it evident that NCP Ajit Pawar faction candidate is an NDA candidate. There is no situation prevailing on the islands that is favourable for BJP,” he says.
Congress’s Hamdullah Sayeed (left) has lost back-to-back LS contests to Mohammed Faizal, who is in the fray this time as the NCP(SCP) candidate
The last few years have been particularly tumultuous for the people of Lakshadweep with protests erupting over an array of administrative changes brought in by the Union Territory administration. From a draft bill proposing a beef ban in 2021 to a circular sparking fear of a hijab ban in educational institutions, the archipelago has been tense. Al though there was elation over a spike in tourism initiatives, it also raised ecological concerns and residents claimed that their lands were being taken over without proper compensation. Also, travel woes of islanders to the mainland remain a concern. The islanders still rely on air evacuation to Kochi in case of a serious medical emergency.
While Faizal says that the is about who was at the forefront in the political resistance against the acts of administrator Praful Khoda Patel, Sayeed claims that all sectors in Lakshadweep are in a shambles. “Be it education, health, transport… every sector is in a pathetic condition now. The rate of unemployment is soaring. Creating jobs for youngsters would be a priority for us.
The elected official is supposed to question the administration’s acts if it is not in favour of the people. The travel crisis that people face is due to lack of such constructive interventions. Change should come so that the people’s lives become easier,” says Sayeed.
Last year, Faizal was disqualified twice as an MP over his conviction in a 2009 attempt to murder case. The case relates to the murder attempt on Mohammed Salih, a Congress worker and son-in-law of former Union minister PM Sayeed, on April 16, 2009, when Lok Sabha elections were un derway. He was first disqualified from Lok Sabha on Jan 13, 2023, two days after a sessions court sentenced him to 10 years in prison. On Jan 25, Kerala HC suspended his conviction and his sentence, following which he moved the Supreme Court against the disqualification.
His membership was restored on March 29, but the SC, while hearing the case, found fault with the HC relief for Faizal and directed that the case be heard again. This led to the HC reversing its own order, and Faizal acquiring the unique distinction of being disqualified as Lok Sabha MP for the second time in under a year.
SC, however, intervened again on Oct 9, and Faizal was reinstated to Lok Sabha in Nov last year. The Lok Sabha secretariat’s decision to reinstate Faizal was made after the SC suspended his conviction in the case.
Meanwhile, NA Muhammed Kutty, NCP national general secretary and Lakshadweep in-charge, who is in the UT campaigning for Yousuf says their candidate is acceptable to everyone. “The candidate is that of NCP, and not that of NDA. Parties are contesting differently in different states. Both the other candidates in the fray have not done anything for the islands. Our candidate is a known scholar, and we believe that we will be able to secure votes from both Congress and the Sharad Pawar faction. The clock symbol would also work in our favour,” says Kutty.