Between power and principle: IUML’s dilemma in Kerala
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) faces a political dilemma in Kerala as it struggles to reconcile its ideological opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Act with its role in a coalition government implementing the law. The party must navigate the tension between its principles and the realities of governance.
Why it matters
It illustrates the complexities of coalition politics and the challenges parties face when legal mandates conflict with their core political identity.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has entered a difficult phase in its political journey. The party that built its politics on issues concerning the community it represents is now confronting the realities of governance. Since the United Democratic Front (UDF) returned to power in Kerala in May, the IUML has found itself defending, or remaining silent on, decisions that sit uneasily with its stated principles.
The latest example is the Waqf issue. The Kerala High Court has frozen the functioning of the Kerala State Waqf Board after finding that it was constituted in violation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The amended law requires every State waqf board to have two non-Muslim members and one Shia Muslim member. The board had neither.
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