Fathima Thahiliya
Fathima Thahiliya | |
|---|---|
ഫാത്തിമ തഹ്ലിയ | |
 | |
| Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 2026 | |
| Preceded by | T. P. Ramakrishnan |
| Constituency | Perambra |
| State Secretary, Muslim Youth League | |
| In office 2024–2026 | |
| Councillor, Kozhikode Municipal Corporation | |
| Assumed office 2025 | |
| Constituency | Kuttichira ward |
| National Vice-President, Muslim Students Federation | |
| In office 2019–2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 September 1993 Peruvayal, Kozhikode district, Kerala, India |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Party | Indian Union Muslim League |
| Spouse | Shahasad |
| Alma mater | Government Law College, Kozhikode (BA;LL.B) Government Law College, Thrissur (LLM, 2017) |
| Occupation | Advocate, politician |
Fathima Thahiliya (ഫാത്തിമ തഹ്ലിയ; [faːt̪ʰima t̪ahlijaː]; born 5 September 1993) is an Indian politician and advocate. She is a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, representing the Perambra Assembly constituency for the IUML since 2026. She is the first woman elected to the state legislature under the IUML banner.[1]
Early life and education
Thahiliya was born on 5 September 1993 in Peruvayal, Kozhikode district, Kerala.[2] She obtained a BA LLB from Government Law College, Kozhikode and an LLM from Government Law College, Thrissur in 2017.[3] She practises as an advocate at the Kozhikode District Court. Her husband, Shahasad, is an advocate at the Kerala High Court.[4]
Political career
Muslim Students Federation and Haritha
Thahiliya joined the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the student wing of the IUML, and rose to national vice-president. In 2012 she was a founding leader of Haritha, the women's wing of the MSF.[5][4] She served as a Senate member of the University of Calicut from 2015 to 2016, and as a member of SAMAAGATI, a committee constituted by the Kerala State Higher Education Council to safeguard gender justice on campuses.[6]
Kozhikode Municipal Corporation (2025)
In the 2025 Kerala local body elections, Thahiliya was elected councillor for the Kuttichira ward of the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation with a majority of 2,273 votes.[7]
Muslim Youth League (2024)
In April 2024, Thahiliya was appointed State Secretary of the Muslim Youth League, the youth wing of the IUML, becoming the first woman to hold a position on the organisation's state committee.[8]
2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election
Thahiliya was selected as the IUML candidate for Perambra in Kozhikode district for the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election. Before 2026, the IUML had fielded a woman candidate for the state assembly on only one previous occasion, in 1996, without success.[9]
The Perambra constituency had been held by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) continuously since 1980.[10] The incumbent, T. P. Ramakrishnan, was the LDF convenor and a former minister, who had won the seat in 2021 by over 22,000 votes.[10] Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a campaign rally in Perambra in support of Thahiliya on 31 March 2026.[11]
Voting was held on 9 April 2026 and results were declared on 4 May 2026. Thahiliya won the seat with 81,429 votes, defeating Ramakrishnan, who polled 76,342 votes, by a margin of 5,087.[12][13]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathima Thahiliya | Indian Union Muslim League | 81,429 | +5,087 |
| T. P. Ramakrishnan | Communist Party of India (Marxist) | 76,342 | — |
Eleven women were elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in the 2026 polls — nine from the United Democratic Front and two from the Left Democratic Front.[14]
Electoral history
| Election | Constituency | Party | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Perambra | Indian Union Muslim League | 81,429 | Won |
References
- ↑ Naha, Abdul Latheef (4 May 2026). "Kerala election result 2026: IUML enters new era as Fathima Thahiliya becomes first woman MLA". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Fathima Thahiliya wins Perambra, becomes IUML's first woman MLA". Madhyamam. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Varghese, Anuja Susan (5 May 2026). "Kerala assembly election results: How Fathima Thahiliya toppled a Left bastion to become Muslim League's first woman MLA". The Week. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- 1 2 "From dissent to making history: Fathima Thahiliya and the Muslim League's turning point on women's leadership". Onmanorama. 5 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Fathima Thahiliya: IUML's First Woman MLA Shatters Glass Ceiling in Kerala Politics". Open Magazine. 5 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Fathima Thahiliya — Speaker profile". Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters. Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Varghese, Anuja Susan (5 May 2026). "Kerala assembly election results: How Fathima Thahiliya toppled a Left bastion to become Muslim League's first woman MLA". The Week. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Kerala: Expelled Haritha leaders reinstated in Muslim Youth League". The News Minute. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Fathima Thahiliya makes history as IUML's first woman MLA". The News Minute. 5 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- 1 2 "'UDF's kutti' Fathima Thahliya storms LDF fortress Perambra, unseats CPM strongman after 46 years". Onmanorama. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Assembly Elections 2026: How Fathima Thahiliya Became The Face Of Women Leaders In The Muslim League". Outlook India. 3 April 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Naha, Abdul Latheef (4 May 2026). "Kerala election result 2026: IUML enters new era as Fathima Thahiliya becomes first woman MLA". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: Fathima Thahiliya becomes IUML's maiden woman MLA". Deccan Herald. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Kerala Assembly polls see 11 women MLAs, IUML gets first woman MLA". The News Minute. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.