KOCHI: Unprecedented dissident activities have erupted in the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) that have put the party in an embarrassing situation.What makes the rebellion serious is the fact that it is led by senior leaders, including sitting MLA T A Ahmed Kabir, who is spearheading the rebellion in Kalamassery where former minister V K Ebrahim Kunju’s son is the party candidate. Party workers and sympathisers have also openly expressed their anger even in Tirurangadi where the IUML state general secretary K P A Majeed is contesting.
Open rebellion of this scale is unheard of in the IUML where the words of the head of the Panakkad family are held in high esteem even in political matters. Decisions taken by Thangal, who is also the spiritual leader in the community, are seldom questioned in the party.
But this time, IUML’s candidate selection has been greeted with antagonism from unexpected quarters. In a Facebook post, A I Abdul Majeed Swalahi, state secretary of the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM), a Salafi organisation, warned the IUML that ‘there is not much distance from Thirurangandi to Manjeri.’
He was indirectly referring to the humiliating defeat Majeed suffered in the Lok Sabha election in Manjeri in 2004 at the hands of CPM leader T K Hamza. Swalahi strong reaction came against the side-lining of P M A Salam, who was considered till the last moment for Tirurangadi, to pave the way for Majeed.
Quick to realise the danger signals emanating from various corners, the IUML leadership devised a patch-up formula by elevating Salam to the post of the party state general secretary which fell vacant after Majeed decided to contest the elections.Salam was the leader of the Indian National League (INL), which was formed after breaking away from IUML. He was elected from Kozhikode South on an LDF ticket in 2006, but later joined the mother organisation. Party workers led by local leaders from Tirurangadi had rushed to the residence of Hyder Ali Thangal and Sadiq Ali Thangal to register their protest over side-lining Salam.
The LDF, which has announced the candidature of Ajith Kolady from Thirurangandi, is planning to change the candidate to capitalise on the discontent brewing among IUML workers in the constituency. Niyas Pulikkalakath, who contested against P K Abdurabb in 2016, is likely to be the LDF’s new candidate.
There were murmurs against the candidature of M K Muneer in Koduvally and Noorbina Rasheed in Kozhikode South, but IUML successfully silenced the dissenting voices. However, the developments in Kalamassery are giving heartburns to the party.
The dissidents, who held a meeting in Kalamassery on Monday, asked the leadership to reconsider the candidature of V E Abdul Gafoor. They wanted Ahamed Kabeer, who was denied opportunity this time, to contest from the seat and are awaiting a response from the party leadership before taking the next step.
Meanwhile, Hyder Ali Thangal announced that Abdurehman Randathani will be the party’s candidate for the Punalur seat. At a news conference in Malappuram, he said the candidate for the Perambra seat will be declared within two days.
RANDATHANI IN PUNALUR