Namesake candidates crowd ballots in high-profile contests

Kozhikode: Prominent candidates in the upcoming assembly elections are facing an unusual scenario — the competition of their namesake. For instance, former Nilambur MLA P V Anvar, who is contesting against minister P A Mohamed Riyas as a UDF-backed candidate in Beypore, is set to face four namesakes in the constituency. Riyas himself will face two namesakes in the contest. Moreover, sharing the ballot space with P V Anvar would be an ‘Anwar' — Anwar Ali Hassan — and two other ‘Anvers'. In Peravoor, where KPCC president Sunny Joseph is locked in a contest with CPM leader K K Shailaja, there are two namesakes for Joseph and Shailaja each. In Manjeshwar too, former BJP president K Surendran and IUML leader AKM Ashraf face competition from namesakes.