Malappuram:
52-year-old P K Zainaba is doing what no woman has ever done in Malappuram. She is contesting the national election on a CPM ticket in this Kerala town where the rate of women's participation in the workforce is a mere 7.63 per cent despite an astounding female literacy rate of 90 per cent.
Malappuram is a stronghold of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
As Zainaba speaks, women mostly gather together on their verandahs to listen to her, maintaining their distance from men and media. Though silent about her victory, many smile at her candidature. Ruksar, a mother of two says, "Zainaba should win, why not? She is a woman and educated."
Zainaba refuses to cover her head during her campaigns, a sharp contrast to the Muslim women who come to listen to her. But despite the controversy created around it by the Opposition, people around don't see that as an issue in elections.
"Veil is not an issue, development is. IUML has never allowed a woman to contest elections, except for reserved seats in the local bodies. They believe women are supposed to be controlled by husbands, or parents and used to only produce children... even educated women don't work here," says Zainaba.
But sitting MP and IUML candidate E Ahmad condemns her statement. "There is an improvement here. Now so many women are working. Muslim League has reformed, it's not like the old times you people think of. We are doing so much for women," he says.
Mr Ahmad, the Minister of State for External Affairs, is contesting his seventh Lok Sabha election. He hasn't tasted defeat yet. Speaking slowly, the 76-year-old takes time out to meet his supporters.
Malappuram has seen the return of several migrant labourers from Saudi due to the strict enforcement of migrant labour laws.
Like Rafeeq whose income has reduced to half the amount he used to earn in Riyadh. Now he works with a hotel in Malappuram. In between cleaning the table and serving people, Rafeeq says, "E Ahmad has done what he could have, extended the return period by over three months. It's the Kerala government that has failed."
The ease with which Mr Ahmad connects with all, even women, who stand huddled in separate groups, is only an indication of the years of undisputed support IUML has enjoyed in this region.
But this poll season, the biggest complaint against him is that he is hardly seen in the constituency.
In Malappuram, it is religion that mostly decides political loyalties and even gender identities. Only once in 2004 did CPM manage to win from Malappuram constituency, earlier known as Manjeri.