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A.K.M. Ashraf is a two-term Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Manjeshwar constituency in Kerala, representing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). First elected in 2021 by a razor-thin margin of 745 votes, he was re-elected in 2026 by a commanding 29,252 votes — one of Kerala‘s most decisive constituency results that year.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | A.K.M. Ashraf (Abdul Khadar Minnath Ashraf) |
| Father’s Name | Aboobacker |
| Date of Birth | 2 January 1978 |
| Age (as of 2026) | 47–48 years |
| Birthplace | Kadambar, Manjeshwaram, Kasaragod, Kerala |
| Residence | Ceeyem Minnath, Kadambar-Manjeshwar (P.O.), Kasaragod — 671323 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Politician, Businessman |
| Political Party | Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) |
| Alliance | UDF — United Democratic Front |
| Constituency | Manjeshwaram (Constituency No. 1), Kasaragod District |
| Current Role | MLA, Manjeshwar Constituency, Kerala |
| Office Phone | 0471–2512317, 9995239701 |
| akmshaa@gmail.com | |
| Education | B.A. Kannada, Kannur University (2001) |
| Marital Status | Married to Smt. Mariyam Fairooza |
| Children | 5 sons: Shamil, Shazil, Shahil, Shabil, Shakkil |
| Net Worth | Not officially disclosed. According to publicly available affidavit data filed with the Election Commission of India, A.K.M. Ashraf’s declared assets are on record. Exact figures should be verified from the ECI affidavit portal. |
| akmashrafmanjeshwaram | |
| @akm_ashraf |
A.K.M. Ashraf was born on 2 January 1978 in Kadambar, a village in the Kasaragod district of northern Kerala. He is the son of Shri K.M. Aboobacker and Smt. Havvamma, and grew up in a household deeply rooted in the cultural and communal fabric of the Manjeshwar region.
Kasaragod district occupies a unique position in Kerala’s geography and culture. Bordering Karnataka, it is one of the most linguistically diverse districts in India — home to speakers of Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, Beary, and Konkani. This multilingual environment shaped Ashraf’s fluency across four languages and gave him a political instinct finely tuned to a complex, cross-cultural electorate.
Manjeshwar itself is the northernmost constituency in Kerala and shares a direct cultural and commercial border with Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka. The constituency has historically been one of Kerala’s most competitive electoral battlegrounds, with elections decided by margins sometimes as small as two digits. Growing up in this environment gave A.K.M. Ashraf an early understanding of ground-level political dynamics.



A.K.M. Ashraf completed his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Kannada from Kannur University in March 2001, having studied at Govinda Pai Memorial Government College, Manjeswaram — one of the principal higher education institutions serving the Manjeshwar region.
His academic years at Govinda Pai Memorial Government College were far from passive. Ashraf held multiple significant positions in the college union, demonstrating an early commitment to student leadership. He served as Chairman, General Secretary, and Student Editor of the college union — a rare combination of administrative, representative, and editorial responsibility within a single campus career.
These roles were not ceremonial. As Student Editor, Ashraf managed the college publication — an experience that built his communication skills and public voice. As General Secretary and Chairman, he coordinated student activities across one of Kasaragod’s most diverse student populations, gaining practical experience in community organisation that would later define his political career.
A.K.M. Ashraf‘s political career is one of consistent progression through grassroots structures, from student union to state legislature — a trajectory built over more than two decades of active engagement in Kerala‘s political landscape.
Ashraf’s political formation began through the MSF (Muslim Students Federation), the student wing of the Indian Union Muslim League. At Govinda Pai Memorial Government College, he rose through the ranks of the MSF to serve as both President and Secretary of the Manjeswaram Constituency unit, before becoming General Secretary and then President of the Kasaragod District MSF. He also served as a Member of the MSF State Working Committee — the highest student-level body of the organisation.
This student leadership era was not incidental. The MSF in Kasaragod operates across a politically contested, demographically mixed district where student-level community engagement directly translates into adult political capital.
Following his student years, A.K.M. Ashraf transitioned seamlessly into the Muslim Youth League, the youth wing of IUML. He served as General Secretary of the Kasaragod District Muslim Youth League and subsequently rose to the position of State Secretary — a role that placed him at the national-level deliberations of one of Kerala’s oldest political parties.
Between 2004 and 2006, A.K.M. Ashraf served as a Director of the Kerala Bamboo Corporation, a state government undertaking involved in the development and commercialisation of bamboo-based industries across Kerala. This appointment marked his entry into institutional governance before he had yet contested a legislative election — a signal of the trust placed in him by the IUML at a relatively young age.
A.K.M. Ashraf was elected as a Member of the Kasaragod District Panchayat for the term 2010–2015. At the district panchayat level, elected members deal with local development planning, budget allocation, and the coordination of infrastructure projects across gram panchayats. This role gave Ashraf direct administrative experience in local governance — a foundation that would serve him in his later legislative career.
From 2015 to 2020, A.K.M. Ashraf served as President of the Manjeswaram Block Panchayat. The Block Panchayat is the middle tier of Kerala’s three-tier Panchayati Raj system, sitting between the Gram Panchayat and the District Panchayat. As President, Ashraf was responsible for overseeing development projects, welfare schemes, and administrative coordination across multiple gram panchayats within the Manjeswaram block.
This five-year term as Block Panchayat President is arguably the most important stepping stone in Ashraf’s rise to the legislative assembly. It gave him executive administrative experience, grassroots visibility, and a direct working relationship with the communities he would go on to represent as MLA.
A.K.M. Ashraf contested the Manjeshwar constituency in the 2021 Kerala Assembly Election on an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) ticket. He won the seat with 65,758 votes, defeating BJP’s K. Surendran by a margin of just 745 votes, securing 38.14% of the vote share.
Manjeshwar had long been one of Kerala’s most competitive battlegrounds — in 2016, the IUML’s winning margin was just 89 votes. Ashraf’s 2021 win, while narrow, was nonetheless a significant achievement given the intensity of the IUML–BJP contest in that constituency.



The Manjeshwar election result 2026 represented a seismic shift in what had historically been one of Kerala‘s most razor-thin constituencies. A.K.M. Ashraf secured 96,948 votes, winning the seat by a margin of 29,252 votes over BJP candidate K. Surendran, who polled 67,696 votes. CPI(M) candidate K.R. Jayananda came third with 21,212 votes.
Counting trends showed a commanding performance. By Round 2, Ashraf had opened a lead of 13,946 votes, which grew to over 26,000 votes by Round 4, and crossed 30,000 votes by Round 12 — effectively sealing the contest well before the final count.
Voting patterns reflected changing constituency dynamics. The 2026 polls recorded a higher turnout among Muslim voters compared to 2021, when turnout was nearly equal between Hindu and Muslim voters. Combined with the UDF’s strong performance in recent local body elections — where it swept all eight panchayats and four district panchayat divisions — this strengthened Ashraf’s position significantly.
With this victory, Manjeshwar moves away from its reputation as one of Kerala’s closest battlegrounds, delivering instead one of the most decisive results in the state this election.
AKM Ashraf election result summary — all three contests:
| Election Year | Ashraf’s Votes | Opponent | Opponent’s Votes | Winning Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 65,758 | K. Surendran (BJP) | 65,013 | 745 votes |
| 2026 | 96,948 | K. Surendran (BJP) | 67,696 | 29,252 votes |
Note: In 2016, the IUML candidate in Manjeshwar was P.B. Abdul Razak, who won by 89 votes. AKM Ashraf first contested in 2021.
A.K.M. Ashraf‘s public influence in Kasaragod extends well beyond electoral politics. His career reflects a consistent pattern of community-level leadership across youth organisations, local governance, and sports administration.
As a two-time MLA from Manjeshwar, Ashraf represents one of Kerala‘s most politically sensitive constituencies — a seat where the BJP and IUML contest in direct head-to-head competition without a significant LDF presence. Winning this constituency twice, and doubling his margin in the process, positions Ashraf as one of the most electorally resilient IUML legislators from northern Kerala.
His grassroots credentials are reinforced by his earlier roles at the Block Panchayat and District Panchayat levels, where he worked directly on development projects affecting the daily lives of constituents — rather than entering legislative politics without administrative experience.
A.K.M. Ashraf serves as Chairman of the Kasaragod District Kabadi Association, a role that reflects his engagement with local sports infrastructure. He also chairs the Under Arm Cricket Association. These positions are not ceremonial — sports administration in rural Kerala involves budget management, youth development, and inter-district coordination, all of which build community ties that complement political work.
His multilingual ability — across Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, and English — is a genuine political asset in the Manjeshwar region, where voters speak multiple languages and candidates who communicate only in Malayalam face a natural disadvantage.
A.K.M. Ashraf is married to Smt. Mariyam Fairooza. The couple has five sons: Master Shamil, Master Shazil, Master Shahil, Master Shabil, and Master Shakkil. The family’s permanent residence is at ‘C.M. Minnath,’ Kadambar P.O., Manjeswaram, Kasaragod — 671 323, the same village where Ashraf was born, reflecting a deep and continued rootedness in his home constituency.
Ashraf lists oration and reading as his primary hobbies — both consistent with the profile of an active public communicator and self-directed learner. His recreation of choice is kabadi, which aligns with his role as Chairman of the Kasaragod District Kabadi Association.
His international travel — spanning Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia — reflects significant engagement with the Gulf diaspora, a demographic with strong ties to Kasaragod district. Kasaragod has one of the highest concentrations of Gulf-employed workers in Kerala, and a legislator with direct diaspora connections is better positioned to address the remittance economy, welfare concerns of overseas workers, and NRI constituency engagement.
A.K.M. Ashraf maintains publicly listed contact channels for constituent access. The details below are sourced from official legislative records:
The office phone number (0471 prefix) routes to the Kerala Legislative Assembly secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, where all serving MLAs maintain official offices. For constituency-level matters — public works requests, welfare scheme referrals, or local grievances — the mobile contact and email provide more direct access.
Note for constituents: Office hours for MLA contact typically follow Kerala Assembly working schedules. For urgent matters, the mobile number and email listed above are the most direct channels.
According to publicly available affidavit data filed with the Election Commission of India, A.K.M. Ashraf‘s declared assets are on official record and accessible through the MyNeta/ADR portal. His self-declared profession is listed as “Business,” and his spouse Smt. Mariyam Fairooza’s profession is listed as “Housewife” in ECI affidavit records.
Specific asset and liability figures should be sourced directly from the ECI affidavit filed at the time of his 2026 candidacy, as these represent the most current and legally verified financial disclosure. AskKerala does not independently estimate or extrapolate net worth figures beyond what is officially declared.
A.K.M. Ashraf is a two-term Member of the Legislative Assembly from Manjeshwar constituency in Kerala’s Kasaragod district. He represents the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and was born on 2 January 1978 in Kadambar, Kasaragod. He has served in student politics, local governance, and the Kerala Legislature across a career spanning over two decades.
A.K.M. Ashraf is known for winning Manjeshwar — historically one of Kerala’s most competitive constituencies — in both 2021 and 2026. His 2026 victory by over 29,000 votes ended the constituency’s reputation for razor-thin margins. He is also known for his multi-decade grassroots career through the MSF, Muslim Youth League, and local panchayat leadership in Kasaragod.
A.K.M. Ashraf’s publicly listed mobile number is 9995239701, and his office phone at the Kerala Legislative Assembly is 0471–2512317. His official email address is akmshaa@gmail.com. These contact details are sourced from official legislative and electoral records.
A.K.M. Ashraf represents the Manjeshwar Assembly Constituency — constituency number 1 in Kerala, the northernmost seat in the state, located in Kasaragod district. Manjeshwar is part of the Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency and is notable for being one of only two Kerala seats where the BJP contests directly against the IUML.
In the 2026 Kerala Assembly Election, A.K.M. Ashraf of IUML won the Manjeshwar seat with 96,948 votes, defeating BJP’s K. Surendran (67,696 votes) by a margin of 29,252 votes. CPI(M)’s K.R. Jayananda finished third with 21,212 votes. The result was one of the most decisive in Manjeshwar’s electoral history.
A.K.M. Ashraf speaks four languages: Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, and English. This multilingual ability is particularly significant in Manjeshwar, a constituency in Kasaragod district where voters communicate across multiple languages. His language fluency allows him to engage directly with all major voter communities without relying on interpretation.
A.K.M. Ashraf‘s political journey from student union leader at Govinda Pai Memorial Government College to two-term MLA from Manjeshwar is a study in methodical, ground-up political development. He did not arrive at the Kerala Legislative Assembly through legacy or overnight prominence — he arrived after two decades of ward-level, block-level, and district-level service in Kasaragod, one of the state’s most complex political geographies.
His 2026 victory — won by 29,252 votes in a constituency that had previously been decided by margins of 89 and 745 votes — signals more than personal popularity. It reflects the consolidation of a political base that Ashraf built through the MSF, the Muslim Youth League, the District Panchayat, and the Block Panchayat, long before he ever contested a legislative seat.
For Kerala‘s political watchers, Kasaragod‘s observers, and researchers tracking the dynamics of IUML’s northern strongholds, A.K.M. Ashraf represents a new benchmark for what constituency-rooted, community-embedded political leadership can achieve in the modern era.