Kerala polls: IUML fields first woman candidate in South Kozhikode seat after 25 years

After a gap of 25 years, the Indian Union Muslim League ( IUML) a key alliance partner of Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), has fielded a woman candidate in the Kerala Assembly polls. The party on Friday declared the list of 25 candidates out of 27 seats it will be contesting.

Noorbina Rashid will contest from the South Kozhikode seat, becoming the first woman candidate to fielded by the Muslim League since 1996, when the former chairperson of the Women's League Khamarunnisa Anwar contested from Kozhikode.

"I had a hope that the party will consider a woman candidate this time after 25 years. I am so happy now about the party's decision. Will serve the society and will remain as a watchdog for democracy," said Noorbina Rashid told the media after her nomination.

Noorbina said that women are expecting more female candidates to represent them in the assembly. "To address issues of women and those marginalised people we need women in the assembly. The expectation of people both men and women are that more women should come forward in society and I happy with the decision of IUML leadership," she added.

Congress to include more women candidates

IUML will be contesting 27 seats out of the 144 assembly seats in Kerala. Meanwhile, the CPI(M)'s list included 12 women candidates in the fray. The Congress is also expected to give more seats to women compared to the last assembly polls. It will be announcing the candidate list.

Assembly elections for 140 seats in Kerala's 14 districts will be held in a single phase on April 6. The counting of votes will tske place on May 2.

The tenure of the 14th Kerala legislative assembly will complete on June 1, 2021. In the 2016 Kerala assembly election, the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front ( LDF) bagged 91 seats in 140-member Assembly. The BJP contested the elections for the first time in Kerala, from the Nemom constituency, where the party's veteran O. Rajagopal won the seat. 

(With inputs from ANI)