IUML Fields Senior Leader, Ponnani MP ET Muhammed Basheer For Malappuram Constituency

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest party in the United Democratic Front (UDF) announced its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The party”s deliberations for a third seat in Kerala has formally ended with UDF finalising the seats” division and an offer of a Rajya Sabha when the next opening comes..

The party has fielded ET Muhammed Basheer, the current Ponnani MP, for the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency, while the sitting Malappuram MP Abdussamad Samadani will be contesting from Ponnani this time. The 77-year-old ET Muhammed Basheer is one of the party’s senior leaders and comes with extensive political experience. Entered politics at an early age through the IUML student wing, Muslim Student Federation (MSF), Mr Basheer has held several important portfolios.

Mr Basheer has been representing the Ponnani constituency for the past three terms since 2009. When he is fielded for another term from Malappuram, another party’s fortress, IUML is almost sure about its candidate”s victory. The constituency has been represented by Muslim League since its formation in 1957 except one time. In 2004, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate TK Hamza wrested the constituency from IUML for the first time in the Manjeri constituency, which was changed to Malappuram after 2004. IUML’s Abdussamad Samadani won 2021 Lok Sabha By-election with a margin of more than one lakh.

ET Muhammed Basheer secured more than one lakh margin against the Left Democratic Front (LDF)’s candidate PV Anvar in the 2019 general election. Having been an MP several times and Kerala’s education minister for two terms, the party has hope in his calibre despite having age- difficulties.