Noorbina Rasheed holds up her ‘IUML membership card’ during a press conference in Kozhikode, Kerala, on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
In a blow to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) ahead of the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, senior leader Noorbina Rasheed has stepped down from the post of national general secretary of the Vanitha League, the party’s women’s wing.
She announced her decision at a news conference in Kozhikode on Thursday (April 2, 2026).
The resignation follows reports of growing internal discontent over the representation of women on the party’s candidate list for the Assembly elections. It is learnt that Ms. Rasheed submitted her formal resignation to the party leadership, citing “severe neglect” of the Vanitha League. Previously, she had voiced her concern over the IUML’s failure to nominate female candidates from the women’s wing, arguing that the party had “denied rightful representation” to the Vanitha League. However, she maintained that she would not “desert the party” for the time being.
The IUML, which has not had a single woman representative in the Legislature to date, has taken a step towards gender inclusion by fielding two women candidates for the April 9 Assembly elections. It has nominated Jayanthi Rajan in the Koothuparamba segment in Kannur and Fathima Thahiliya in Perambra in Kozhikode.
Ms. Rasheed alleged that “qualified” women leaders were being “overlooked” in favour of other candidates, including Ms. Thahiliya, leading to a visible rift within the organisation. “We have demanded that she should not be given a seat as it was Thahiliya who had raised the Haritha controversy that led to even the Panakkad Thangal family being insulted,” Ms. Rasheed added.
While the IUML leadership has yet to formally announce its stance on the matter, party sources said that efforts may be made to resolve the issues internally to prevent further fallout during the poll campaign.
Earlier, Ms. Rasheed had a stint as a member of the Kerala Women’s Commission and, in 2021, became the IUML’s first female candidate in 25 years to contest from the Kozhikode South Assembly segment. She had lost the then incumbent seat of the IUML.
Her resignation highlights ongoing tensions regarding gender representation and the influence of the women’s wing within the party’s senior decision-making bodies.
Published – April 02, 2026 03:38 pm IST
