Sharp differences over the choice of candidate for the Rajya Sabha election came to the fore at the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State working committee meeting here on Friday, forcing the leadership to entrust party State unit president Panakkad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal to take a final decision on the contentious issue.
“The candidate will be announced by Mr. Shihab Thangal in Malappuram on Saturday. There is no dispute in the party over the issue,” said IUML State treasurer and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty, emerging out of the meeting. He refused to take any questions from journalists who gathered at the League House.
However, it is learnt that the meeting failed to reach a consensus on two contenders — party State unit general secretary K.P.A. Majeed and State unit secretary and businessman P.V. Abdul Wahab.
Incidentally, both of them are supported by two factions, one led by party all-India general secretary E. Ahamed, MP, and the other by Mr. Kunhalikutty. This had resulted in an intense lobbying in the party for more than a month.
