As the state council of the Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) would meet in Kozhikode on Sunday to elect the new state committee, party leaders are learnt to have come to an agreement in principle to drop one of the two state general secretary posts in the party.
Sources said if things go as per the plan, K P A Majeed, one among the present general secretaries, will continue and the present state committee will be retained.
Senior party leader and MP E T Mohammed Basheer, the other state general secretary, has already communicated his dissent to the party leadership over maintaining two state general secretary posts.
Basheer also said that he would be stepping down from the post of general secretary due to other commitments.
“The creation of two general secretary posts in the state committee was only an adhoc arrangement in the wake of requirements of the party then. However, maintaining two such posts is not good for the system and I have already conveyed this to the party leadership. So, doing away with one state general secretary post will be a natural decision,” he said.
The state council meeting also assumes much significance in the wake of protests during elections to district committees in Kollam, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts.
The factional feud in the party came out in the open during the elections and the furious party workers of Kannur even went on to burn the party national leader and Union Minister of State E Ahamed in effigy.
The irate activists also shouted slogans against party leader and minister P K Kunhalikutty.
However, Mohammed Basheer refuted allegations of infighting in the party district committees.
“There were certain issues in connection with the election of party district committees. But, all problems now stand solved. As far as Kollam district committee is concerned, elections will be held after the formation of new state committee,” he said.Meanwhile, the five-member committee formed by the IUML Kozhikode district committee to inquire into the problems in the Koyilandy Mandalam Committee has submitted its report. “The committee has recommended certain organisational changes in party leadership in Koyilandy. Necessary action will be taken after elections to the state committee,” he said. The state council of IUML comprises 400 members and number of members from each district to the council depends on the membership in the respective districts. The meeting of the existing State Council was held in Kozhikode on Saturday, which evaluated the organisational report detailing the working of the state committee in the last three years.