Kozhikode: Muhammad Shuhaib, the father of Allan Shuhaib who was one of the two students arrested in the Pantheerankavu Maoist case, will contest in the upcoming local body polls in Kerala as a candidate of the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP).

Shuhaib, a former branch secretary of the CPM, has severed ties with the ruling party in the state following the arrest of his son and repeated attempts by the government to portray the youngster as a Maoist sympathiser. Allan and Thaha Fazal, arrested in November last year under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for their alleged Maoist links, were granted bail by an NIA court in Kochi in September. Both Allan and Thaha were branch committee members of the CPM and were expelled from the party following their arrest. The arrest had triggered widespread criticism of the Left front government in the state.

Shuhaib has maintained a distance with the CPM even after his son was granted bail. He will be contesting from the 61^st ward of Kozhikode corporation. Shuhaib said, according to Manorama News, that he decided to enter the poll fray as requested by the RMP.

Read: Advice to Alan and Thaha: Never expect mercy from CPM

The Kozhikode-based RMP was founded by T P Chandrasekharan in 2009 after he was expelled from the CPM. Chandrasekharan was later brutally murdered by a criminal gang, allegedly sponsored by the CPM, in 2012. Three CPM leaders were among the 12 convicts in the murder case.

The RMP had supported UDF candidate K Muraleedharan in Vatakara Lok sabhaa seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.