It was smooth sailing for Kanhaiya Kumar's college mate and CPI candidate Mohammed Mohsin who, in his maiden electoral battle, wrested the Pattambi Assembly seat in Palakkad district from the sitting Congress MLA.


The JNU Student Union president had on May 14 canvassed for Mohsin, who trounced Congress' C P Mohammed by a margin of 7,404 votes. Mohammed represented the politically hyper-active seat for over a decade. Veterans who had got elected from Pattambi seat included CPI(M) stalwart E M S Namboothirippad and CPI's E P Gopalan.


Deploring the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi comparing Kerala with Somalia, Kumar had said, "Kerala is one of the most literate states in the country. The place is also known for its progressive values and gender justice."