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Kerala Politics

Kerala: IUML Had ‘Satisfactory’ Talks With Congress on 3rd Seat

In the 2019 general elections, Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 out of the 20 seats from Kerala…reports Asian Lite News

Senior leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) P.K. Kunhalikutty on Sunday said the discussion with the Congress party regarding the third Lok Sabha seat was satisfactory.

Kunhalikutty was speaking to the media persons after a meeting with senior Congress leaders of Kerala at Kochi.

The League leader said the party state president, Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, was out of the country and will be back on Monday.

P.K. Kunhalikutty said the party would take a decision after a meeting of its senior leaders, including Sadiq Ali Thangal, on Tuesday and will announce the decision publicly.

He said that several points were discussed, but refused to divulge the details. He said that he would speak about this only after February 27.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has been in a confrontation with its alliance partner Congress for a third Lok Sabha seat in addition to the two — Ponnani and Manjeri — where the party has been contesting.

The party senior leaders, including sitting MP, E.T. Mohammed Basheer, has been openly demanding a third Lok Sabha seat for the League.

In the 2019 general elections, Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 out of the 20 seats from Kerala.

The UDF has not yet announced its candidate list due to the tough stance taken by the IUML on the third seat. The front has announced the candidature of its other alliance partners — RSP leader and sitting MP, N.K. Premachandran will contest from Kollam while former MP, Francis George will contest from Kottayam seat as a Kerala Congress candidate.

The Congress, according to sources, is trying for a last minute negotiation with the Muslim League promising it the next Rajya Sabha seat but the chances are bleak. If the League sticks to its demand, the Congress will have no other option but to replace one of its sitting MP’s in the current election so that the coalition remains intact, the sources added.

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