Analysis | Sadiqali Shihab Thangal emerges as de facto supremo of IUML

Party’s Malappuram district president is slowly preparing to take on mantle of State president from ailing brother

With the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) organising a huge rally in Kozhikode in protest against the decision of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government on Waqf Board appointments on Thursday, the party’s Malappuram district president Panakkad Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal is slowly preparing to take on the mantle of State president from his ailing brother Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal.

In a deftly crafted extempore before a 40,000 crowd, the Thangal has been able to tangibly drive home the twin objectives of the protest rally. If one was to send a message across to the CPI(M) leadership that the ruling party cannot create a wedge between party and religious leaders, the other was to a section of the party-backed Samastha Kerala Jamiyathul Ulema leaders to let them know the IUML is the real boss in the public sphere.

Previously, any State Government or even the Centre interacted with religious leaders channelised through the IUML. “However the CPI(M), for getting political mileage, has been indulging in its game plan to eliminate the upper hand of the IUML. Yesterday’s rally proved that it won’t work,” the Thangal told The Hindu on Friday.