Malappuram: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will contest on 27 constituencies for the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly polls. The party's state leadership announced the list of candidates on Friday evening. Among the prominent candidates contesting in the assembly election are Dr M K Muneer, P K Kunjalikutty and KPA Majeed – the trio have been exempted from the party bar on contesting for more than three times.
Significantly, the party has announced a woman candidate for the first time after the 1996 state polls.
The party also announced candidates for a Lok Sabha bypoll from the Malappuram constituency as well as a Rajya Sabha bye-election from the state.
Muslim League's national senior vice-president M P Abdu Samad Samadani will be in the poll fray for the Malappuram Lok Sabha bypoll which would be held along with the election to the 140 assembly seats on April 6.
P V Abdul Wahab will be the party candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypoll.
Former state minister Kunjalikutty will be in the poll fray from Mankada seat.
Muslim League state secretary K M Shaji, who had wrested the Azhikode seat from the CPM and won two back-to-back elections there, will again contest from the constituency.
Noorbina Rasheed, the second-ever woman candidate for Muslim League in state polls, would be testing her electoral luck from the Kozhikode South seat.
UC Raman will be the party candidate from the Kongad reserved constituency for Scheduled Caste candidates.
Kongad in Palakkad district is an LDF stronghold.
Adv V E Abdul Gafoor, son of former Public Works Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju who is facing legal action related to the Palarivattom flyover corruption case, will contest from Kalamassery.
The candidate for the Perambra, Punalur and Chadayamangalam seats would be announced later.
The party which had contested on 24 seats in the 2016 state elections had demanded three more seats from the United Democratic Front leadership this time.
Though the Muslim League parliamentary board met on Thursday to finalise the candidates, it could not reach an understanding on some assembly seats following which the announcement of candidates was deferred.
The League leadership had earlier claimed that the delay in announcing the candidates was due to differences with the Congress over several seats. Both parties are the two major constituents of the United Democratic front (UDF).
The Congress will contest in 91 seats, leaving the rest 49 to its UDF allies.The Kerala Congress (Joseph) faction is likely to get 10 seats.
List of IUML candidates:
1. Manjeswaram: A K M Ashraf
2. Kasaragod: N A Nellikunnu
3. Azhikode: KM Shaji
4. Koothuparamba: Pottankandi Abdulla
5. Kuttyadi: Parakkal Abdulla
6. Kozhikode South: Noorbeena Rashid
7. Kundamangalam: Dinesh Perumanna (UDF Independent)
8. Thiruvambadi: C P Cheriya Muhammad
9. Malappuram: P Ubaidulla
10. Vallikkunnu: P Abdul Hameed Master
11. Kondotty: T V Ibrahim
12. Ernad: P K Basheer
13. Manjeri: U A Lathif
14. Perinthalmanna: Najeeb Kanthapuram
15. Tanur: P K Firos
16. Kottakkal: K K Abid Hussain Thangal
17. Mankada: Manjalamkuzhi Ali
18. Vengara: P K Kunhalikutty
19. Tirur: Kurukkoli Moideen
20. Guruvayur: K N A Khader
21. Tirurangadi: K P A Majeed
22. Mannarkkad: N Shamsudheen
23. Kalamassery: V E Gafoor
24. Koduvalli: M K Muneer
25. Kongad: U C Raman
26. Punalur/Chadayamangalam: Will be announced later
27. Perambra: Will be announced later
