As mercury rises, so does poll heat

Candidates in Kozhikode South brave the heat to meet voters

The sun seemed near the zenith and Noorbina Rasheed was sweating profusely. For the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate from Kozhikode South, her day begins at the break of dawn and goes on till late at night. On Saturday, she was back in her turf, the Mukhadar ward of Kozhikode Corporation, where she had served as councillor for five years. “It is me, Noorbina, the same old Noorbina,” she said to a woman who looked at her keenly. A smile of recognition spread on the elderly voter’s face. Ms. Rasheed reminded her of the time when they had voted her to the Corporation and requested them to do the same once again. “And the symbol remains the same, the ladder,” she added. Ms. Rasheed’s candidature came as a surprise from the IUML, which had not fielded a woman to the Assembly for a quarter of a century. “She is a bundle of energy. We cannot match up to her,” said a party worker accompanying her.