Seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha will shortly be finalized: Satheesan VD

Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said in Malappuram on Friday that the UDF is committed to concluding seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections as soon as possible, particularly in light of the Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) demand for a third seat. “The IUML leaders are in Delhi in relation to their office’s registration. However, the talks over seat-sharing with the IUML will shortly come to an end. The conversations with the other parties are now over. On the margins of the Samaragni march, Satheesan said reporters, “We will analyze the circumstances and make an appropriate decision regarding the third seat demand.”

K Sudhakaran, the state president of the Congress, said that there are no disagreements between the IUML and the Congress about seat sharing. The IUML is targeting a third seat, preferably in north Kerala, in addition to the seats in Ponnani and Malappuram. In addition to aiming for the seats in Kannur and Kasaragod, the party is also willing to run from Wayanad in the event that Rahul Gandhi decides not to run from the seat once again. Party insiders claim that the IUML may also take into consideration having a Muslim Youth League (MYL) leader run for the third seat.

IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty, meanwhile, said in Delhi that the party would not back down from its position on a third Lok Sabha seat. “The third seat is not up for debate. Instead, it is a condition of the party. There was to be a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. But the state assembly ended late that day, and we had to take a plane to Delhi to finish the party headquarters’ registration procedure. We took the seat requirement seriously when we submitted it to the UDF. We will not back down from our stance on the third seat, Kunhalikutty said, stressing that the IUML is strong enough to run from any Keralan constituency.