Kunhalikutty quits Lok Sabha

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty resigned from the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. He is preparing to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Mr. Kunhalikutty said he quit his Parliament membership following a directive of the party’s national and State committees. He met IUML chairman Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal on Tuesday evening at Panakkad before proceeding to Delhi to tender his resignation.

He submitted his resignation to the Lok Sabha Speaker at the latter’s chamber. IUML working secretary E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, national treasurer P.V. Abdul Wahab, MP, and K. Navaskani, MP, accompanied Mr. Kunhalikutty.

Mr. Kunhalikutty was given charge of the local body and Assembly elections by the IUML a few months ago, giving signs of his return to State politics. The IUML decision had evoked criticism from various quarters, describing his return to Kerala politics as his “failure in Parliament”.

Mr. Kunhalikutty had quit his Assembly seat (Vengara) and successfully contested to the Lok Sabha in a byelection from Malappuram following the death of the then IUML president E. Ahamed in 2017. He was re-elected to Parliament from Malappuram in 2019.