MALAPPURAM: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second-largest ally in the UDF, will raise concerns over disunity within the Congress at the UDF meeting scheduled for next Thursday. Party sources indicated that the IUML leadership is deeply dissatisfied with the factionalism in the Congress.
The IUML fears that these internal conflicts could negatively impact the UDF’s prospects in the upcoming local body and assembly polls. The party plans to escalate the issue to the High Command if state leaders fail to resolve it promptly.
IUML state general secretary P M A Salam confirmed that the issue would be discussed at the UDF meeting. “Through discussions, we aim to resolve the differences, ensuring that the UDF moves forward in unity,” he said.
Sources said that differences among senior Congress leaders are creating challenges for the UDF at the grassroots. The party wants senior Congress leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan, to set aside differences and work together.
An IUML leader revealed how Congress factionalism has deepened at the grassroots, making coordination increasingly difficult. “In UDF-controlled cooperative banks, board members are usually elected unanimously without the need for elections. However, internal rifts within the Congress have disrupted this practice.
This factionalism is also impacting the IUML, even in its stronghold — Malappuram. Resolving issues has become challenging, as it often requires engaging with multiple Congress leaders from different groups. In Malappuram, there are four groups under four prominent Congress leaders,” he added.
The leader warned that if the situation persists, factionalism could reach its peak during the panchayat elections. “In that case, we may see multiple UDF candidates contesting for the same ward. This would make it difficult for the UDF to coordinate effectively for both the panchayat and assembly elections. The general consensus within the IUML is that the Congress should not be allowed to continue down this path of internal conflict,” he added.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan dismissed reports of internal strife within the Congress.