Malappuram (Kerala), March 21 Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman said on Saturday that he shifted from Tanur to Tirur constituency here as it was his hometown and he wanted to bring development there.
Abdurahiman said that while his move can be termed as "regionalism", his heart would not allow him to sit in another seat for five years, while his own constituency awaits development activities.
He rejected reports that he shifted to Tirur, afraid of a defeat in Tanur, saying that he won from the latter constituency last two times and it was a seat with a guaranteed win for him this time also.
"I moved to a constituency where a win is not guaranteed and from where an LDF candidate has won only once in the political history of Kerala. So, I am not going there because I am afraid of losing. I want to win that seat for the Left and ensure development for the people there," he told a TV channel here.
The minister said that it was Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty who was scared of a loss, and that is why he moved from Vengara constituency -- where he won last time -- to Malappuram.
He also said that he had defeated IUML candidates twice in Tanur.
Meanwhile, IUML candidate of Vengara, K M Shaji, said that the minister moved to Tirur as he realised that the people of Tanur would not put up with him any longer.
Abdurahiman, who won from Tanur in 2021, had sought the Tirur seat this time and will contest as an independent backed by the CPI(M).
He was initially allotted Tanur in the earlier list and had waited for the revised list before launching his campaign.
He will be facing IUML's Kurukkoli Moideen, the sitting MLA from Tirur.