The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has formally staked its claim for a greater share of seats within the United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance for the upcoming Kerala assembly elections. The demand was a central point of discussion during the party's state working committee meeting held in Kozhikode on Monday.
Seat Sharing Strategy and Internal Deliberations
Party leaders at the meeting asserted that the IUML is eligible for additional constituencies in the impending seat-sharing negotiations with the Congress-led UDF. These crucial talks are anticipated to commence within the next two weeks. A notable suggestion emerged for a constituency swap with the Congress party, specifically focusing on seats that both allies have consistently failed to secure in past elections.
Furthermore, there was a push for the party to strengthen its electoral footprint in the southern districts of Kerala. Despite the strong demands, the party leadership, including state president Panakkad Sadikali Shihab Thangal and national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, indicated a preference for a measured approach, avoiding an overly aggressive public stance in the negotiations.
Focus on Winnability and Youth Representation
Emphasizing the need for electoral success, state general secretary PMA Salam told reporters that winnability would be the primary criterion in selecting candidates. Echoing this, several leaders internally argued for fielding more young candidates and fresh faces during the selection process to rejuvenate the party's appeal.
On the technical front, the meeting decided to organize statewide camps to address grievances related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has reportedly led to a large number of voter deletions. Salam clarified the timeline, stating, "No formal talks have taken place yet within the UDF on seat sharing. Bilateral discussions will be completed by Jan 15, and candidate-level talks will begin only after that."
Political Resolutions and Accusations
The working committee also passed strong political resolutions. One resolution demanded that the state government act decisively to protect Kerala's communal harmony. It accused the current LDF government of turning a blind eye to hate speech, contrasting it with the strict actions taken by the previous UDF administration.
In a tacit reference to comments made by SNDP general secretary Vellapally Natesan, the resolution stated, "Everyone has the right to criticise IUML politically. But using that as a cover to insult the Muslim community as a whole is unacceptable — no matter who does it."
Another resolution adopted a more aggressive tone, accusing the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government of adopting a 'fascist' model by allegedly implicating opposition leaders in false cases. It specifically criticized the move to recommend a CBI probe against the opposition leader in a case that, the IUML claims, had already been dismissed by investigating agencies and courts as baseless.
