Against a backdrop of public debate on the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) getting closer to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [ CPI-M], its leadership did not even bring the issue before the table at the working committee of the party held in Kozhikode on Friday evening.

Sources said that the meeting deliberated on strengthening the organisational set-up of the party after its unexpected performance in last year’s assembly polls and chalking out the second phase of protest against the State government’s proposal to hand over Waqf Board appointments to the Kerala State Public Service Commission.

In fact, the political debate that centered around the tacit alliance between the IUML and the CPI (M) had few takers in the party. The majority of the leadership put the idea at an electoral disadvantage in the long-run, the sources said.

Meanwhile, replying to questions from journalists on Saturday, party’s State general secretary in -charge P.M.A. Salam scotched rumours that the IUML had planned to switch over to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) bandwagon. No such discussion about the change of coalition was held in the party. The situation was not conducive for that, he pointed out.

That the party national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty had exchanged pleasantries with LDF-backed legislator K.T. Jaleel during a wedding reception should not be construed as a discussion for switching the front. Besides, the opinion of Mr. Jaleel was not that of the CPI (M), Mr. Salam said.

He said that the United Democratic Front of which IUML was a part, need to be strengthened. The Congress party still held sway in the State even without power. But if it was in the case of the CPI (M), it would collapse, he said.

As part of the second phase of agitation against the Waqf issue, Mr. Salam said that the party has decided to take out a protest march to the Legislative Assembly on March 17.