Arrest of IUML MLA Kamaruddin likely to create ripples in Kerala politics

He  has been synonymous with Indian Union Muslum League in Kasaragod district for the past four decades.

A drop out of Sir Syed college in Taliparamba, Kamaruddin climbed the political ladder slowly but steadily over these years  to become an MLA a year ago.

Son of A P Muhammed Kunhi, the 59-year-old  is a shrewd businessman by profession.

Resident of Karma Edachal near Udinpur near here, the league leader has been focussed on politics as well as business. Owing to his commitment and loyalty to his green-flag party, he reached the position of district chairman of the UDF in 2016.

But his entry into politics was unprecedented. Kamaruddin became MLA in a byelection in October last year which was necessitated due to the death of the then sitting MLA P B Abdul Razak.

Even as Kamaruddin was having smooth ascent in politics, his business graph was plummeting. Fashion Gold was a flagship business venture promoted by him with league leader and Muslim scholar P K Pookoya Thangal as its Managing Director.

The group amassed funds from league supporters and NRIs. They mobilised about 170 crore from over 300-odd people to expand the business under Fashion Gold Jewellery group.

The business group that launched in 2006 had good fortunes for a decade but its graph headed south post in 2016.

Smelling a rat, investors sought refunds from the group from early 2017. This made its position from bad to worse. Meanwhile, many promoters quit and some diverted funds at their whims and fancy.

Both Kamaruddin and Thangal also opted to sell some properties and even the gold stock they had.

Meanwhile, many investors lodged police complaints. Attempts by the MLA and local leaders to settle the issue went futile and, finally, he was arrested by the crime branch.

In fact, the League leadership had been brainstorming these days whether to seek his resignation as a legislator.

They had removed him from the post of UDF’s District chairman. But the police went ahead of the party and made the arrest today.

The timing of the arrest coincides with the local body election declaration made on Friday.

The MLA in the capacity of the Chairman of Fashion Gold Jewellery Group is behind the bars and this is good enough a stick in the hands of LDF to beat the UDF.

As per election records, the MLA has assets worth five crore and liabilities to the tune of 30 lakh.

The arrest of a league MLA is likely to have political repercussions in the backdrop of the Marxist party in the LDF facing serious political setbacks on account of  many cases including gold scam, life mission housing project and import of Quran.

The fate of another IUML MLA K M Shaji, is hanging in balance in a bribery case related to a plus-two allocation registered by the state vigilance department.

The Marxists are anxious over possible actions against Minister K T Jaleel and Pinarayi’s close aide Raveendran, who are likely to get trapped in the gold smuggling and quran import cases respectively.

Though, politically, it is harvesting season for the BJP, the internal conflicts within the party have been weakening its winning prospects.

The outcome of the local body election would probably be a strong indicator to the assembly election due in May next year.