Kozhikode: In a move aimed at reshaping its long-standing image as a male-dominated Muslim party, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is considering fielding two women candidates in the forthcoming Kerala Assembly elections.

The party is weighing the candidature of former Malappuram district panchayat president Suhara Mampad and IUML national assistant secretary Jayanthi Rajan, a Hindu. While a final decision is yet to be taken, party sources indicate that Mampad may be fielded from either the Manjeri or Tirurangadi constituency in Malappuram district. The constituency for Jayanthi  Rajan has not yet been decided.

The IUML first fielded a woman candidate in the Assembly elections in 1996, when Khamarunnisa Anwar contested and lost to CPM leader Elamaram Kareem. More than two decades later, the party nominated Noorbina Rasheed from Kozhikode South in the 2021 Assembly elections, but she was defeated by LDF candidate Ahammed Devarkovil. This time, the party is considering fielding a woman candidate from a “safe seat,” raising the possibility of the IUML getting its first woman MLA.

The Manjeri Assembly constituency is under serious consideration for Mampad. The IUML’s U A Latheef had won the seat in the previous election with a margin of 14,573 votes, securing 50.22 per cent of the total votes polled. LDF candidate Naser Dibona polled about 41 per cent.

Mampad, 66, is currently the state president of the Vanitha League, the women’s wing of the IUML. She entered politics through the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the party’s student wing, and represented various district panchayat divisions in Malappuram for over a decade before becoming the district panchayat president.

Speaking to Onmanorama, Mampad said the party leadership would take a final call after internal discussions within the UDF. “Panakkad Sadiqali Shihab Thangal has already indicated that women candidates will be considered in the upcoming elections. However, the names are yet to be finalised,” she said.

Jayanthi Rajan, 47, who hails from Irulam in the Poothadi panchayat of Wayanad district, said she was ready to abide by any decision taken by the party. She entered electoral politics by winning the 2010 local body elections from the Irulam ward. She later joined the Vanitha League and became a member of the IUML’s Wayanad district committee. Belonging to the Other Eligible Communities (OEC) category, she was nominated to the state committee of the Dalit League and was re-elected to the local body in 2015. In March 2025, she was elected national assistant secretary of the IUML.

“Many women candidates fielded by the party in the recent local body elections registered decisive victories. With new parties associating with the UDF this time, seat-sharing talks for the Assembly elections are still underway. Candidates will be finalised soon,” she said.

A key constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), the IUML has often faced criticism for allegedly discouraging active participation of women in politics and restricting them to secondary roles. Women leaders were frequently denied opportunities to share public platforms or address gatherings at party functions. The party’s latest move is seen as an attempt to counter this perception, particularly amid allegations by Opposition parties that the IUML is aligning with extremist organisations ahead of the elections.

Recently, the IUML selected a Scheduled Caste Hindu woman for the general post of vice-president of the Malappuram district panchayat following its sweeping victory in the local body elections. A P Smiji, a lawyer by profession, was recommended for the post by IUML state president Panakkad Sadiqali Shihab Thangal. Smiji had won the local body election from the Tanalur division with a margin of over 6,800 votes.

IUML state general secretary P M A Salam said no final decision had been taken on fielding women candidates. “There should be no surprise regarding women candidates. We fielded a woman candidate even in the previous election from a sitting seat. A final decision on the upcoming elections can be taken only after the completion of seat-sharing talks within the UDF,” he said.