<p>Thiruvananthapuram: By fielding two women candidates for the first time, including a dalit woman leader, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) hopes to counter the allegations of gender discrimination as well as communal colour being given to the party by rival camps, especially the BJP-NDA.</p><p>It is for the first time that the IUML is fielding two women candidates. Earlier the party had fielded one woman each in two Assembly elections. But none of them could win the polls. </p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Congress' 'go-to' man K Muraleedharan returns to Vattiyoorkavu.<p>Those fielded this time are Jayanthi Rajan, who is now serving as a national assistant secretary of the party, and prominent youth leader Fathima Thahliya.</p><p>Jayanthi, who is a dalit leader from Wayanad, has been fielded at Koothuparambu in Kannur, while Fathima is fielded from Perambra in Kozhikode to take on Left Democratic Front convenor T P Ramakrishnan.</p><p>Jayanthi's elevation as the national assistant secretary last year at the national council meeting held in Chennai had also received much attention owing to the campaign by the rival parties that the IUML is a communal party.</p><p>Jayanthi had then said that it was a false narrative that the IUML was a party of the Muslim community. There are members from all religions in the party. Similarly women constitute around 50 per cent members of the party, she had then said.</p><p>Jayanthi, who hailed from a traditional Congress family, became part of IUML in 2010 after associating with IUML's charity activities. She had earlier won the local body elections at Poothadi grama panchayat in Wayanad in 2010 and also served as a standing committee chairperson.</p><p>Fathima, who is a lawyer by profession, is the secretary of the Kerala State Muslim Youth League.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Vanitha (Women) League, the women wing of IUML, expressed displeasure that no one from the forum was selected as candidates. The two women selected were from the party's national leadership and Youth League, said Vanitha League national general secretary Noorbeena Rasheed, who was a candidate in the last Assembly election. </p><p>While IUML, which is the second largest party in Congress-led United Democratic Front, already announced 25 candidates, including veterans like P K Kunhalikutty, the party is yet to announce candidates for two more seats.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: By fielding two women candidates for the first time, including a dalit woman leader, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) hopes to counter the allegations of gender discrimination as well as communal colour being given to the party by rival camps, especially the BJP-NDA.</p><p>It is for the first time that the IUML is fielding two women candidates. Earlier the party had fielded one woman each in two Assembly elections. But none of them could win the polls. </p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Congress' 'go-to' man K Muraleedharan returns to Vattiyoorkavu.<p>Those fielded this time are Jayanthi Rajan, who is now serving as a national assistant secretary of the party, and prominent youth leader Fathima Thahliya.</p><p>Jayanthi, who is a dalit leader from Wayanad, has been fielded at Koothuparambu in Kannur, while Fathima is fielded from Perambra in Kozhikode to take on Left Democratic Front convenor T P Ramakrishnan.</p><p>Jayanthi's elevation as the national assistant secretary last year at the national council meeting held in Chennai had also received much attention owing to the campaign by the rival parties that the IUML is a communal party.</p><p>Jayanthi had then said that it was a false narrative that the IUML was a party of the Muslim community. There are members from all religions in the party. Similarly women constitute around 50 per cent members of the party, she had then said.</p><p>Jayanthi, who hailed from a traditional Congress family, became part of IUML in 2010 after associating with IUML's charity activities. She had earlier won the local body elections at Poothadi grama panchayat in Wayanad in 2010 and also served as a standing committee chairperson.</p><p>Fathima, who is a lawyer by profession, is the secretary of the Kerala State Muslim Youth League.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Vanitha (Women) League, the women wing of IUML, expressed displeasure that no one from the forum was selected as candidates. The two women selected were from the party's national leadership and Youth League, said Vanitha League national general secretary Noorbeena Rasheed, who was a candidate in the last Assembly election. </p><p>While IUML, which is the second largest party in Congress-led United Democratic Front, already announced 25 candidates, including veterans like P K Kunhalikutty, the party is yet to announce candidates for two more seats.</p>