Kerala Assembly polls: IUML State secretary Randathani slams Tirurangadi pick, says deserving voices ignored

IUML faces internal dissent as leaders criticize candidate selections, claiming deserving voices are overlooked in Kerala Assembly polls.

A controversy has erupted within the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) after its Kerala State secretary Abdurahiman Randathani openly challenged the party leadership’s decision to field P.M.A. Sameer in the Tirurangadi constituency for the April 9 Assembly elections in the State.

The IUML’s list of candidates for 25 constituencies was announced on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) evening by State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal. Mr. Sameer was nominated for Tirurangadi, a seat being vacated by veteran leader K.P.A. Majeed. Mr. Sameer, a company secretary by profession, is not regarded as someone who has risen through the party ranks.

Soon after the announcement, Mr. Randathani took to Facebook, sharply criticising the decision. At the same time, he praised the selection of Muslim Youth League leaders such as P.K. Firoz, Faisal Babu, T.P. Ashraf Ali and P.K. Nawas.

He also commended the candidature of K.M. Shaji in Vengara, noting that Mr. Shaji had won twice and lost twice against the Left, a political trajectory similar to his own.

In his post, Mr. Randathani argued that Mr. Sameer was a relatively new face who had been “imposed” on Tirurangadi, a constituency once represented by stalwarts such as A.K. Antony, Avukadar Kutty Naha and U.A. Beeran, while “overlooking several deserving” candidates.

He further pointed out that neither party workers nor local panchayat or municipal committees had demanded Mr. Sameer’s candidature. He alleged that the decision was driven by vested interests and that “innocent Thangals” from Panakkad were being used as “tools.”