Kozhikode, 03 Nov (H.S.):The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), one of the Congress party’s oldest allies, has expressed serious dissatisfaction over what it considers systematic political marginalisation within the INDIA bloc, with its leadership suspecting AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal’s involvement.

The party is preparing to raise the issue with the Congress high command, alleging that its national leaders have repeatedly been excluded from important programmes, delegations and coordination committees of the opposition alliance.

The immediate trigger was the exclusion of IUML MP E.T. Mohammed Basheer from a delegation scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu to submit a complaint against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The party’s resentment intensified after its national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty was denied an opportunity to address Sunday’s massive “Delhi Chalo” rally at Ramlila Maidan, despite CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby being allotted speaking time.

The IUML is also unhappy over the exclusion of its youth and student organisations, Muslim Youth League and MSF, from the INDIA bloc’s youth-student coordination committee.

A senior IUML leader alleged that Venugopal was responsible for the repeated exclusions and described the Congress leadership’s approach as unprecedented and humiliating.

The leader said the matter had not yet been brought to the attention of Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi. IUML state president Panakkad Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal is expected to take up the issue with the Congress leadership after his return.

Meanwhile, discontent over the treatment of the IUML has also surfaced within sections of the Kerala Congress.

Congress MLA K.P. Noushad Ali, in a Facebook post, defended the IUML, recalling its association with the Congress since 1969 and its crucial political influence in Wayanad.

The developments have exposed growing strains between the two longstanding allies within the opposition alliance.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman