Kerala: Sayed Ali Majeed, a member of Kerala's ruling CPI(M), triggered a major controversy on Sunday night following remarks he made at a public event in Malappuram district, shortly after winning the local body election by a narrow margin.
Addressing a large gathering, Majeed took aim at the Muslim League for fielding women candidates in the polls, alleging that the party was "using women to secure votes." "They put women on display to win elections," he claimed during his speech.
He went on to make derogatory remarks about women associated with his own party as well, drawing sharp criticism. Majeed said that women should not be "shown off" for political gain and made comments suggesting that their role should be confined to the home, invoking traditional views on marriage and family that many have termed deeply offensive.
The remarks came against the backdrop of mixed electoral outcomes for political fronts in the state. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) emerged ahead in four of the six municipal corporations, retaining Kannur and wresting Kochi and Kollam from the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Compounding the LDF's setbacks, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) made a significant breakthrough by winning control of Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The city is represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and has long been regarded as a Left bastion.
In the outgoing 100-member Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation, the CPI(M) held 51 seats, while the NDA had 35 and the UDF 10. Following the latest polls, with the council expanded to 101 members, the NDA secured 50 seats, the LDF dropped to 29, and the UDF won 19 seats. Two seats went to Independent candidates.