Kozhikode: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second biggest constituent of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, has announced the candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
P K Kunhalikutty will contest from the Malappuram seat and E T Mohammed Basheer from the Ponnani seat.
The candidates were announced by IUML state president Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal.
Kunhalikutty, a former state minister, contested from Malappuram following the demise of sitting member E Ahamed in 2017. He won with a huge margin then, and this time is facing young CPM and All India Students' Federation of India president V P Sanu, who is contesting in the Lok Sabha polls for the first time.
Basheer, also a former state minister, had won from Ponnani in 2009 and 2014. This time he is pitted against Left-supported Independent candidate P V Anwar, a sitting legislator.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala will field six sitting MPs and an equal number of MLAs in the Lok Sabha elections.
The CPM - the largest partner in the Left Front - will field 16 candidates, including six MPs and four MLAs. The CPI, the second major LDF ally, will contest four seats and two will be sitting MLAs. The Congress and BJP are yet to officially announce their candidate list.
During the 2014 Lok Sabaha polls, the Congress-led UDF had won 12 seats and CPI(M)-led LDF eight, while the BJP had failed to open its account in the state dominated by the bipolar polity.
The IUML had decided not to stake claim for an additional seat in the polls. The decision was taken after a meeting of the IUML and Congress leaders held here on Friday.
The Friday's discussion was attended by opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran, UDF convener Benny Behanan, IUML national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty, state secretary KPA Majeed and national treasurer PV Abdul Wahab MP.
Though IUML did not insist on the third seat, the party made it clear to the Congress top brass that any erosion of its votes to the rival camp would be unacceptable.
The IUML had demanded either Palakkad or Kasaragod seat earlier. This was rejected by the Congress in the second round of seat-sharing talks. The first round of talks held in Ernakulam on January 26 did not yield any result.
The IUML's stand gives some leeway for the Congress leadership to quell dissent from its allies, including Kerala Congress (Mani), who were demanding additional seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
