MALAPPURAM: The Indian Union Muslim League has delivered a commanding political statement in the assembly polls, scripting the most successful chapter in its electoral history.
Winning 22 out of the 27 seats it contested, the party has not only improved sharply on its 2021 tally of 15 but also emerged with a strike rate of 81%, the highest among the major players in Kerala’s electoral arena. In a significant shift in the balance of power, the League now trails the CPM by just four seats, underlining its growing weight within the state’s political matrix. The difference was 47 in 2021.
This electoral surge reflects both a consolidation of the League’s traditional base and a calibrated expansion into new political ground. For the first time since its formation, the party has also sent a woman to the assembly, with Youth League leader Fathima Thahiliya winning from Perambra, marking a symbolic and political breakthrough.
National general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, who himself secured victory with a record margin of 85,074 votes, framed the outcome as a historic milestone. “The party has scripted new history under Sadiq Ali Thangal. At a time when communal propaganda is being unleashed against the IUML, the victory in Thavanur is a golden feather in the Muslim League’s secular cap,” he said.
State president Thangal, however, struck a collective note, attributing the victory to alliance cohesion. “This victory is the result of UDF’s teamwork,” he said.
Despite initial dissatisfaction over being allotted 27 seats, the League leadership opted for strategic restraint. Prioritising unity within the front, the party worked in close coordination with the Congress to maximise its strike rate. That decision now appears vindicated, with the League emerging as one of the principal drivers of the UDF’s sweeping gains.
Historically, the League’s electoral trajectory has seen fluctuations. It peaked at 20 seats in 2011 when it contested 24 constituencies, before slipping to 18 in 2016 and down further to 15 in 2021. The 2026 results mark a decisive reversal of that decline, restoring the party to a position of strength and influence across regions.