Overview
- Fathima Thahiliya, declared winner Monday, took Perambra by 5,087 votes over CPI(M) veteran T P Ramakrishnan.
- Perambra had stayed with the Left since 1980, and Ramakrishnan won by more than 22,000 votes in 2021.
- The 34-year-old lawyer and Kozhikode councillor rose through IUML’s student and women’s wings, founding Haritha and later serving as Muslim Youth League secretary.
- Her campaign drew heavy online abuse and questions over her hijab, even as national figures such as Rahul Gandhi campaigned in the constituency.
- Kerala’s 16th Assembly will have 11 women in a 140-seat house, and IUML’s choice to field two women this year marked a break from its sparse record on nominating women.