Hailing the "shining" victory of UDF candidate PK Kunhalikutty, the Rajya Sabha member said the IUML leader could play a big role in national politics in place of late E Ahamed, who he said, had tried a lot for the unity of the democratic forces.
The challenge thrown up by the BJP and Sangh Parivar couldnot be faced by a single party, Kumar said in a release here, adding, "It was not the local issues, but thechallenges faced by the nation which were on debate during the Malappuram Lok Sabha by-poll campaign."
Secular parties like the Congress, SP, BSP, JD(U), NCP and RJD should work on a common platform, he added.
If it worked,a national alternative could be formed, in which the IUML's part will be "significant" and it would usher in a new phase in electoral politics, Kumar said.
Kunhalikutty won the by-poll witha margin of over 1.7 lakh votes over his nearest LDF rival. The by-poll was necessitated by the death of Ahamed.