THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Fathima Thahiliya Becomes IUML's First Woman MLA, Wins Perambra ... Fathima Thahiliya has scripted history by becoming the first woman from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to enter the Kerala Assembly after winning the Perambra constituency in Kozhikode district by 5,087 votes in the 2026 Assembly elections. She defeated senior CPI(M) leader and LDF convener T. P. Ramakrishnan in what is being seen as a major political upset in a traditional Left stronghold. The 34-year-old advocate secured 81,429 votes, marking a shift in voter sentiment in North Kerala and a milestone for gender representation within the IUML. Party leaders have hailed the result as historic, while opposition leaders acknowledged the verdict and pledged continued public engagement. Thahiliya’s victory is being widely described as a breakthrough moment for both the IUML and women’s political participation in Kerala. A lawyer and former Kozhikode corporation councillor, she built her campaign around grassroots outreach, welfare concerns and inclusive governance. Her candidacy was initially viewed as a high-risk move in Perambra, a constituency long dominated by the Left, but her sustained engagement with v…

Record victory, rising claims: IUML faces tough balancing act to form cabinet lineup | Meet Muslim League Ministers | Kerala news in english | Onmanorama Nijeesh Narayanan Published: May 18, 2026 07:36 AM ISTUpdated: May 18, 2026 10:14 AM IST 5 minuteRead Link Copied Malappuram: The Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) process of finalising ministers for the new UDF government turned into one of the most complex and closely watched internal exercises in the party’s recent history, reflecting shifting power equations, regional demands and growing pressure from grassroots workers. Traditionally, ministerial decisions in the IUML are settled within hours, with the final word largely resting with the Panakkad Thangal family and the top leadership. This time, however, the process stretched over three days, with prolonged uncertainty, internal lobbying, public protests, and even last-minute changes before the final announcement on Sunday, ahead of the new UDF government’s swearing-in on Monday. The unusually tense negotiations came after the IUML secured a record 22 Assembly seats in the elections, significantly increasing the number of claimants for Cabinet positions and intensify…

Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Fathima Thahiliya becomes IUML's ... T hiruvananthapuram: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate Fathima Thahiliya has emerged as the first woman legislator of the party as she defeated CPM top leader T P Ramakrishnan at CPM stronghold Perambra in Kozhikode. Advertisement Ramakrishnan, who is also Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor, got defeated by 5,087 votes to the young IUML leader. While Thahiliya secured 81,429 votes, Ramakrishnan got only 76,342 votes. The IUML that won 22 seats is the second largest party in the UDF after Congress . Thahiliya, who has been a prominent figure in IUML's stirs, is a councilor in the Kozhikode corporation. The 34 year old leader is a lawyer by profession. Reacting to the mandate, Thahiliya said she was considering her victory as the victory of the secular mindset of Kerala. Kerala Assembly Election 2026 Results Highlights | Voters show door to Left rule as UDF sweeps to power; Lotus blooms in 3 seats The election campaign at Perambra was marked with a row over a communally toned campaign against Thahiliya allegedly by the LDF. Thahiliya's candidature had also not gone down well with many senior woman lead…

Fathima Thahiliya topples Left bastion to become first woman MLA in Kerala UDF candidate defeats LDF’s T P Ramakrishnan in Perambra, ending decades-long dominance and marking a milestone for women’s representation in the party TBS Report 05 May, 2026, 02:10 pm Last modified: 05 May, 2026, 02:13 pm Photo: Instagram/fathimathahiliya Fathima Thahiliya of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has toppled a long-standing Left stronghold in Kerala's Perambra constituency to become the party's first-ever woman member of the state assembly. According to The Hindu, she defeated Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener T P Ramakrishnan by 5,087 votes, securing 81,429 votes against his 76,342 in a seat held by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) since 1980. Her victory is being seen as both an electoral upset and a historic breakthrough for the IUML, which had previously fielded only two women candidates in its history, neither of whom won, The Indian Express reported. Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel A lawyer by profession and a councillor in the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation, Thahiliya rose to prominence within the party as a reformist voice advocating grea…

Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: IUML enters new era as Fathima Thahiliya becomes first woman MLA While the IUML has long faced criticism for not fielding women in strong or winnable constituencies, Thahiliya’s victory has challenged that perception and marked a clear shift in narrative

Fathima Thahiliya becomes IUML's first woman MLA, defeats CPI (M) leader The Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML’s) Fathima Thahiliya has scripted history on Monday, becoming the party’s first woman legislator and emerging as a giant killer,defeating Kerala’sruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener T P Ramakrishnan in the CPI(M) stronghold of Perambra in Kozhikode district. A lawyer by profession and a councillor in the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation, Thahiliya’s victory came in a seat that the CPI(M) has been consistently winning since 1980. During the run-up to the election, the United Democratic Front (UDF) — Kerala’s Opposition alliance comprising the Congress, the IUML, and other small constituents — had complained to the Election Commission, alleging that the LDF had been unleashing a communal campaign against Thahiliya. Among 27 candidates fielded by the IUML, she was one of the two women candidates. In Kerala’s election history, before this time, the IUML had only ever fielded two other women candidates, and neither of them won. Thahiliya rose to prominence in the IUML in 2022, seeking gender justice within the party. Known as a reformist voice in the IUML, she was…

Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: Kunhalikutty files nomination in ... Indian Union Muslim League national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty filing his nomination for the April 9 Assembly election as UDF candidate from Malappuram, to the District Labour Officer at Malappuram on Saturday.| Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN P.K. Kunhalikutty, national general secretary of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), filed his nomination on Saturday for the April 9 Assembly election as the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate from Malappuram. He submitted his nomination to the District Labour Officer here. He began the day by visiting the grave of his father, Pandikadavathu Mohammed Haji, at Oorakam to offer prayers, and then sought the blessings of his elder brother, P.K. Haidru Haji. Before heading to Malappuram, Mr. Kunhalikutty paid tribute at the graves of former IUML leaders Syed Pookoya Thangal, Syed Mohammedali Shihab Thangal, Syed Umerali Shihab Thangal, and Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal at Panakkad. He also called on IUML State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal at his residence at Panakkad before proceeding to Malappuram in a convoy. Accompanying him were IUML constituency…