By TCN News,
Ernakulam: The Muslim League will contest 24 seats in the coming Assembly elections in Kerala, said party general secretary PK Kunhalikkutty. The League is indeed the second party in the UDF after the Congress and it will continue so in this election also. He also claimed that the allegations against the party have only created a positive atmosphere for the League. He was speaking to media persons at Thodupuzha in Ernakulam.
Meanwhile, in a demand similar to that made by their Congress counterparts, the Muslim Youth League last day demanded more representation for the youth in the coming Assembly elections. State leaders of the Youth League made the demand before the party’s national and state presidents and the state general secretary. The Youth League leaders reportedly demanded that those who have already contested thrice should be kept aside and that the youth should be given opportunity, retaining only five or six of the elders. The performance of the present MLAs was not good in the Assembly and so, more youth should be sent to have a better performance, the youth leaders reportedly said. Muslim League General secretary PK Kunhalikkutty is reported to have responded to the youth demand that fair representation was given to the youth in the local body polls.
However, seat-sharing talks are only going on between the Congress and the League, and no final decision has been reached on the number of seats. A main issue is the increase in the number of constituencies in the Malappuram district, the stronghold of the League. While the Congress demands two of the four additional seats, the League is reportedly not ready to give more than one. After a seat-sharing talk between the two parties in Kozhikode, UDF convener PP Thankachan had stated that the League would contest 23 seats which created confusion as the League was demanding 24. And Kunhalikkutty refused to confirm the statement of Mr Thankachan. A clear picture of the seat-sharing is supposed to come out in the following days when the two parties are holding talks with each other as well as the other parties in the UDF.
Kunhalikkutty’s emphasis on the League being the second largest party in the UDF is apparently directed at Kerala Congress (Mani group). The KC (M) was the third largest party in the UDF after the Congress and the League, but the party is said to be stronger now with the merger of the Kerala Congress (Joseph) in it. Party leader KM Mani has demanded 22 seats in the talks held on Sunday. The party hopes to make it to the second position in the UDF and try to get the deputy-Chief Ministership, according to reports. The Muslim League also has the same dreams with Kunhalikkutty as the deputy CM, but its realization is not sure due to the new revelations in the ice-cream parlour sex scandal case and the supposed rift between Kunhalikkutty and party secretary Dr MK Muneer. Muneer is also the chairman of the leading news channel ‘Indiavision’ which gave good coverage for the new revelations in the ice-cream case in which Kunhalikkutty is also allegedly involved.