MALAPPURAM: Youth League president Sayyid Munavar Ali Shihab Thangal has ignited a political storm by asserting that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) rightfully deserves the deputy chief minister’s post, reopening a contentious debate over the party’s place within the UDF if it returns to power.
Sources within the party project confidence that the League will secure 22 or more of the 27 seats it contested, a performance that would decisively tilt the balance of power within the front. Such a mandate, leaders argue, would make it impossible to side-line the IUML in key power-sharing decisions.
Yet, IUML general secretary P K Kunhalikutty has publicly attempted to contain the narrative, repeatedly downplaying speculation surrounding the deputy chief minister’s post. Behind this restraint, however, an undercurrent of discontent is building. The party rank and file are increasingly vocal that electoral strength must translate into political authority.
The leadership’s earlier dissatisfaction over seat allocation has only sharpened this sentiment, with many within the League viewing the current arrangement as a test of its standing within the alliance.
“IUML has a legacy of holding key offices. C H Mohammed Koya served as chief minister and Avukkader Kutty Naha held the deputy chief minister’s post. There is no doubt that the Muslim League deserves the position again. However, we do not intend to raise such matters before the results,” Thangal told the media on Friday.
Later in the day, Kunhalikutty struck a cautious note, stating that the IUML would not push the front into a crisis by pressing demands for the deputy chief minister’s post. But within the party, the tone is far more assertive. A senior leader told TNIE that the onus lies squarely on the Congress leadership to recognise the League’s strength without being compelled.
“It is evident that IUML will play a decisive role in the UDF if the front comes to power. We are expecting victory in 22 to 24 seats. We have strong prospects across constituencies, barring a few like Punalur, Kalamassery, Kuthuparamba, Chelakkara and Thiruvambady. If these projections hold, IUML will emerge as a decisive force. There is no need for us to ask for the deputy chief minister’s post. The Congress leadership must offer it without hesitation,” the leader said.
The source also revealed simmering resentment over seat distribution. “We were allotted the same number of seats as in 2021, despite deserving more. The leadership chose restraint in the interest of front unity. But if the IUML is sidelined after delivering results, the party will not remain silent,” the leader warned.