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2 min readThiruvananthapuramMar 17, 2026 09:28 PM IST
Announcing the list of candidates for 2026, IUML state president Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal said the party would contest in 27 seats, and that the names of candidates for two constituencies — Punalur and Chelakkara — would be announced later. (File Photo)
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a partner in the Congress-led Opposition UDF alliance in Kerala, on Tuesday announced a list of 25 candidates for the upcoming Assembly election. The list includes two women, one of whom is a Hindu.
Jayanthi Rajan, who is from a Dalit community, was appointed one of the party’s national assistant secretaries last year. She will contest from the Koothuparamba constituency in Kannur district in the election scheduled to take place on April 9.
The other woman in the IUML list was Fathima Thahilya, who will take on senior CPI(M) leader and the convener of the ruling LDF alliance, T P Ramakrishnan, in the Perambra seat in Kozhikode. Fathima, who is one of the state secretaries of the Muslim Youth League, had previously raised the demand for greater gender representation in the IUML.
The party had fielded only one woman candidate, Noorbina Rasheed, in the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections. She was the party’s first woman Assembly election candidate in 25 years.
Announcing the list of candidates for 2026, IUML state president Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal said the party would contest in 27 seats, and that the names of candidates for two constituencies — Punalur and Chelakkara — would be announced later.
The IUML, which has 15 legislators in the outgoing Assembly, has brought in a generational change in the selection of candidates in 2026. The party has dropped seven sitting legislators, including six-time legislator Dr M K Muneer. Prominent among the sitting legislators seeking election again are P K Kunhalikutty, M Ali and N Shamsudheen.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church had asked the Congress to take back the Thiruvambady seat in Kozhikode district and field a Catholic candidate, but this was not to be. The seat was contested by an IUML candidate, unsuccessfully, in 2021. The IUML will again contest the seat for the UDF this time.
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
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