The United Democratic Front leadership has put pressure on the Indian Union Muslim League to retain its recently-elevated national general secretary and IUML legislature party leader P.K. Kunhalikutty in the State instead of fielding him in the upcoming Malappuram Lok Sabha byelection.
Senior leaders are understood to have expressed their opinion at a bilateral meeting held here on Tuesday to sort out the localised tussle between the Congress and the IUML in certain panchayats.
IUML leaders kept their cards close to their chest stating that the party’s working committee and the parliamentary board meeting to be held later in the presence of Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal will take a decision.
It is for the IUML to take the final call on whether it should field Mr. Kunhalikutty. Such a decision lies in the realms of the party leadership’s perceptions about its role in national politics, specially in the era of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rising chart and the Congress’s declining graph.
The outcome of the Assembly elections in the five States, particularly Uttar Pradesh, will certainly be assessed.
The party has already indicated its thinking by inducting Mr. Kunhalikutty as national general secretary and Hyderali Shihab Thangal as chairman of the national political affairs committee.
Senior UDF leaders are resigned to Mr. Kunhalikutty’s Delhi innings. Moreover, the IUML is said to be against inducting a newcomer.
The bilateral meeting on Tuesday focussed on certain irritants between the local Congress and IUML leaders. The Congress leadership appeared to be keen on resolving these issues, since the UDF has several points to prove by ensuring a trouble-free byelection.
The meeting was attended by Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, senior leader Aryadan Mohammed, a main player in Malappuram politics, and UDF convener P.P. Thankachan.
The IUML was represented by Mr. Kunhalikutty and K.P.A Majeed.
The Malappuram seat fell vacant following the death of E. Ahamed. The byelection to the constituency is on April 12.
