Indian Union Muslim League’s makeover from an ally to an electoral powerhouse in Kerala

It was around 10.30 a.m. on May 4, 2026, when Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty’s car eased out of his house at Karathodu, near Panakkad, in Malappuram district of Kerala. The atmosphere was already charged as the Kerala Assembly election vote counting was under way. The car did not travel far. It turned into nearby Panakkad and stopped at the residence of IUML State president Syed Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal. Inside, the mood was electric. IUML workers had gathered in large numbers at the party supremo’s residence. Anticipation turned into celebration as results firmed up and a historic Assembly election victory became clear. Slogans rose in waves, and the Thangal’s courtyard filled with noise and movement. A visibly elated Kunhalikutty stepped in and embraced the Thangal. For a brief moment, the celebration seemed to pause, as the scale of the victory began to sink in. The story of the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) return to power in Kerala after a decade is, in many ways, also the story of the IUML evolving from a dependable ally into the coalition’s most-disciplined political machine. While the Congress remained the UDF’s main face, the IUML provided much of the organisational strength and social cohesion that drove the alliance’s success, especially in the Malabar region. The number game The numbers reflect the political clout of the party in the Malabar region as it secured an 11.01% vote share, almost on par with the BJP’s 11.42%. But unlike the BJP, which fought largely on its own, the IUML achieved this as part of a coalition, amplifying its prominence within the UDF. While the Congress won 63 of the 95 seats it contested (a 66.32% strike rate), the party won 22 of the 27 seats with a strike rate of 81.48%. Besides Kunhalikutty’s win from the Malappuram Assembly constituency with a record margin of 85,327 votes, P.M.A. Sameer in Tirurangadi with a margin of 63,387 votes and Abid Hussain Thangal in Kottakkal with a margin 62,638 votes became the top performers in the State. But for the League’s leadership, the election was never about numbers alone. Across Kerala, the party began preparations long before the elections were announced. The organisational machinery was activated well in advance. “We began with the meticulous vetting of the voters’ lists,” says party State general secretary P.M.A. Salam, and “completed it in a time-bound manner.” C.P. Saidalavi, State vice-president, notes that the poll preparations began from the stage of electoral list revision itself. “We remained alert from the Special Intensive Revision stage of the list,” he says. “Voter enrolment, documentation and booth-level work were handled carefully.” It was Team IUML all the way. Leaders travelled across constituencies and relentlessly campaigned for the front. At the centre stood the Thangal, whose leadership was seen both as organisational and symbolic. The campaign unfolded in a wider political climate that, the IUML leaders felt, was increasingly charged. Abdurahman Randathani, State secretary of the party, notes that sections of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), especially the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], supported narratives that echoed Sangh Parivar's politics. “Communal campaigns were allowed to continue. The LDF did not stop them; in fact, it encouraged them. The remarks by some leaders of social organisations were an example.” He also says that the reported remarks by the then Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, about Malappuram caused deep resentment. “Statements suggesting that the people of Malappuram were engaged in hawala and gold smuggling through the Karipur airport caused deep hurt as it was directed against an entire community,” he notes. Kunhalikutty sidestepped some of the caustic comments against the district and the community members. The party also displayed restraint during some of the raging controversies such as the Munambam Waqf land issue, where the residents of the coastal village launched a protest under the leadership of a Church-led organisation against the decision of the Kerala State Waqf Board to enlist the holding as a Waqf. The issue had attained communal overtones and threatened to disrupt communal amity. “The way the IUML handled the Munambam issue was an example of its social restraint,” says Randathani. The outreach extended further through the party State president’s Statewide yatra, which included meetings with leaders of multiple communities. “It strengthened the IUML’s secular image,” says Randathani. Support to Satheesan The party strongly backed V.D. Satheesan during the selection of the UDF’s Chief Minister candidate. League leaders say this was natural. Satheesan and the IUML shared a strong mutual trust, which matured over the years. His political style matched the League’s outreach, especially his engagement with minority communities. He had also defended the IUML during the earlier political controversies, say some