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With the release of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate list on Friday, a single woman was spotted after 25 years for the Kerala assembly polls, making her the second woman candidate of the party. 

It was back in 1996 the IUML had fielded Qamrunisa Anwar from the Calicut-2 Assembly constituency but she had lost by less than 9,000 votes. 

Noorbina Rasheed, a lawyer and senior party leader, will be contesting for the Kozhikode South seat, held currently by party veteran M.K. Muneer. He has been moved to another constituency in the same district. Since 2011, Kozhikode South has been League's sitting seat. 

Recently a letter was forwarded to the League leadership by Suhra Mampad, the president of Vanitha League ( women's wing of Muslim League) asking for the consideration of Noorbina Rasheed and P. Kulsu, national secretary and state secretary of Vanitha League respectively as candidates in the assembly polls.  

Releasing the list in Malappuram, IUML president Panakad Hyderali Shihab Thangal said that this time, there was consensus in the party that all those who had served three terms would not be re-nominated, but an exemption was made for three – P.K. Kunhalikutty, Muneer and K.P.A. Majeed.

“This time, the IUML will be contesting in 27 seats, three more than 2016 and the candidates for two seats (Punalur or Chadayamanagalam, and Perambara) will be announced later. Representations have been given to all sections and the list is a comprehensive one,” he said.

In the 2016 polls, the IUML contested 24 seats and won 19.