THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A force to reckon with in Malabar politics, IUML is all set to seek a winning seat in South Kerala in the coming assembly election in 2026. The League leadership, which is keen to establish it as a pan Kerala party, has listed four assembly constituencies from Thiruvananthapuram district in the priority list. The list includes Varkala, Vamanapuram, Nedumangad and Thiruvananthapuram constituencies. All these constituencies are now with Congress. Of the four seats, Varkala has been given the first priority.
Though IUML had once contested in two assembly seats – Kazhakootam and Thiruvananthapuram West, in the changed political situation after the delimitation of constituencies, the party has decided to put Varkala as its first priority.
“We have full confidence that with the support of the UDF, League could win in Varkala in the next assembly election,” an IUML leader said.
“The four constituencies are selected on the basis of minority-backward caste presence and UDF’s strength. In Varkala, we have good ground support. In all the three constituencies we believe that the League could perform well against its opponents considering the strong anti-incumbency factor against the Left government,” he said.
These seats were selected after League district leaders held discussions with the state leadership. The League had earlier contested from Thiruvananthapuram West and Kazhakootam constituencies and won the elections.
In Thiruvananthapuram West, League candidate Muhammad Kannu had won the election in 1982. In 2006, though the party decided to contest from the seat, in the last-minute League withdrew for Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran)’s candidate.
In Kazhakootam, M H Sahib registered the League’s first victory in the 1967 assembly election. These two seats are now held by the Congress.
And the League leadership is of the view that the Congress would have to accommodate the party in the district in a winnable seat like Varkala. It also thinks that in seats like Vamanapuram and Nedumangad the party has better chance to win the election.
The League is also considering going back to its traditional seat in Kollam district – Eravipuram constituency. The party had been contesting the election from the constituency from 1982. In 1991, P K K Bava won the seat for the League and became a minister in the UDF ministry.
In 2016, League handed over the seat to RSP and contested from Punalur and did not win. In 2021 also, it could not win the election from the seat. The party is of the view that the Congress must take initiative to restore its traditional seat or give a new seat.
bid To regain lost ground in South kerala
The League leadership has listed four assembly constituencies from Thiruvananthapuram district in the priority list.
The list includes Varkala, Vamanapuram, Nedumangad and Thiruvananthapuram constituencies.
Of the four seats, Varkala has been given the first priority.