The Muslim League (Opposition), later renamed as the All India Muslim League, was a political party in Kerala, India. It was a splinter group of the Indian Union Muslim League. The party was founded by Ummer Bafakky Thangal. It was an ally of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and part of the Left Democratic Front.
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Split in the IUML
A rift had emerged in the Muslim League in Kerala in 1976, between followers of C.H. Mohammed Koya and the faction of Ummer Bafakky Thangal. Six Members of the Legislative Assembly sided with Thangal and boycotted the Assembly. They were expelled from the party, and then the ML(O) was set up. The new party was nicknamed the 'Opposition League'. In the wake of the split leaders of ML(O) were summarily arrested and detained.
1977 election
The party contested the 1977 Kerala Legislative Assembly election. ML(O) fielded 16 candidates, generally in constituencies where they faced Muslim League candidates. In total the candidates of the party got 390,139 votes (4.45% of the votes in the state). Three of its candidates were elected; P.P.V. Moosa from Edakkad, P.M. Aboobaker from Calicut-II and K.P. Raman from Kunnamangalam.
ML(O) fielded two candidates in the 1977 Indian general election, which both where defeated by IUML candidates in straight contests; B.M. Hussain in the Manjeri Lok Sabha seat (167,034 votes, 38.73%) and M. Moideen Kutty Haji (151,945 votes, 36.05%).
The party won a 1979 by-election to the Kasargode Legislative Assembly seat, with B.M.A. Rahiman as the candidate.
1980 election
The party changed its name to the 'All India Muslim League' ahead of the 1980 election. The election symbol of the party was a boat. The party fielded eleven candidates in the 1980 Legislative Assembly election, out of whom five were elected; P.P.V. Moosa, P.M. Aboobacker and K.P. Raman were re-elected whereas A.V. Abdulurahiman Haji from Meppayur and M.J. Zakaria from Mattancherry were elected as well. In total the candidates of the party got 335,223 votes (3.51% of the votes in the state). The party became a major partner in the coalition government formed after the election, with E.K. Nayanar as Chief Minister.
The party fielded K. Moideen Kutty Haji in the Manjeri Lok Sabha seat in the 1980 Indian general election. He finished in second place with 196,820 votes (45.60% of the votes in the constituency).
1982 election
The All India Muslim League fielded twelve candidates in the 1982 Legislative Assembly election, out of whom four were elected. A.V. Abdulurahiman Haji, P.M. Aboobacker and K.P. Raman were re-elected. N.A. Mammoo Haji was elected from Peringalam. All in all, the candidates of the party obtained 310,626 votes (3.25% of the votes in the state).
Merger with IUML
The alliance between CPI(M) and the All India Muslim League was broken in 1985. Differences on the issue on Muslim Personal Law prompted the break-up. The party re-united with the Indian Union Muslim League on August 3, 1985.