Dusk fell some hours ago, but it was just another long day for Fathimath Zowra on the campaign trail. She met voters, made house visits, worked on her nomination, and finished the day with a convention in the Udyawar North ward of the Manjeswaram grama panchayat in Kasaragod where she is contesting as an Independent candidate.
The 27-year-old rank newcomer did not have any plans to contest the polls but changed her mind after being repeatedly urged by people at the grassroots level. “Fed up with problems that never got resolved, they wanted me to fight the elections. But I did not want to contest under any party symbol. After my years with the Kudumbashree, I have the confidence that I can get things done.”
It is this people connect that Ms. Zowra, who worked for three years as a community mentor to strengthen the Kudumbashree network in the area, is banking on to see her across the finishing tape.
As in the case of Ms. Zowra, Kudumbashree was the stepping stone for Jisna Francis’ entry into politics too. Ms. Francis, who is contesting on the Left Democratic Front (LDF) ticket from the Manakkalpadi division of the Vellangallur block panchayat in Thrissur, joined a Kudumbashree auxiliary group in 2022 and has been active in various capacities. In the process, she not only assumed leadership roles, but also forged deep ties with the community. “People said they could see a huge change in me in even a short period.”
