The Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on February 25 concluded a crucial seat-sharing discussion ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Though the Congress and the IUML leaders who took part in the deliberations termed the discussion satisfactory, they refused to divulge the outcome of the deliberations and reserved the announcement for February 27.
It was the League’s demand for a third seat, in addition to the Malappuram and Ponnani seats from where it has been successfully contesting for decades together, that warranted the bilateral discussions between the parties. The IUML had reportedly demanded a Rajya Sabha seat to drop its claim for a Lok Sabha seat. The Congress leadership is understood to have expressed its inability to part with a Lok Sabha seat. However, the party may concede to the demand for a Rajya Sabha seat. The term of at least three Rajya Sabha members from Kerala will expire in July.
