E-Paper
IUML’s strong show winning 22 seats fuelled UDF’s sweep
The UDF's victory in Kerala elections was fueled by IUML's strong performance, winning 22 seats, including historic wins for women candidates.
The United Democratic Front’s sweeping win in Kerala’s Assembly elections was driven in large part by the strong performance of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), especially in its stronghold of Malappuram and across the Malabar region. The elections also marked a milestone as Fathima Thahiliya became the first woman elected as an MLA on an IUML ticket.
The IUML, the second-largest partner in the UDF after the Congress, won 22 of the 27 seats it contested, its highest-ever tally. It swept all 12 seats in Malappuram, while the Congress secured the remaining four seats in the district.
The party also registered surprise victories in constituencies such as Kalamassery and Perambra. In Kalamassery, its candidate VE Abdul Gafoor defeated CPI(M) leader and industries minister P Rajeev. In Perambra, Fathima Thahiliya, a key leader of the party’s women’s wing, defeated CPI(M) veteran TP Ramakrishnan by 5,087 votes.
PK Kunhalikutty, the IUML’s senior leader in the state, recorded the highest victory margin in the state’s history, winning by 85,327 votes from Malappuram. Other prominent leaders, including PK Basheer, PK Firos, KM Shaji and TV Ibrahim, also won from their respective constituencies.
The IUML lost in five seats — Kuthuparamba, Punalur, Guruvayur, Azhikode and Chelakkara. Its other woman candidate, Jayanthi Rajan, lost to the RJD in Kuthuparamba.
In contrast, the Jose K Mani-led Kerala Congress (M), a partner in the Left Democratic Front (LDF), suffered a complete rout. All 12 of its candidates, including Mani himself in Pala, were defeated. This is the first time since the party’s formation in 1979 that it has failed to win a single seat. The party had five MLAs in the outgoing Assembly.
In central Travancore, where Christians, particularly Catholics, hold significant influence, the LDF faced a sweeping backlash, leading to the defeat of all KC(M) candidates.
