Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal on Friday appeared to rebut United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Adoor Prakash’s accusation that the Keralam government had shunted the UDF out of key decision-making, including on critical political appointments to top posts.

Speaking to reporters in Malappuram after arriving from an INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi, Mr Thangal said the UDF meeting on July 31 had decided to settle questions concerning political appointments. He said regular bilateral talks between alliance partners informed the government’s decisions.

“The UDF can settle any difference of opinion through consensus and without any rancour”, he said. 

Industries Minister and IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty said there was no “Himalayan problem” in the UDF, as some quarters claimed.

“The INDIA bloc and the UDF are singularly focussed on the Chief Election Commissioner’s subversion of the electoral process to stack the decks in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s favour. No controversy will dilute the UDF and INDIA bloc’s political and legal pivot against the BJP’s attempt to undermine the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s independence and constitutionality”, he said.