KOZHIKODE: The stunning performance of

, the leader of the

, in the

has become a major embarrassment for the

, especially for

, as the Hyderabad MP has won many hearts among the IUML cadres.

There are many Owaisi fans in Kerala who think that he is sincere in addressing the issues related to the minorities. To make matters worse for the IUML leadership, the party cadres compare Owaisi’s performance with that of the League MPs.

There is a strong feeling within the party that Kunhalikutty has shown scant regard in reflecting the mood of the Muslim community in Parliament. His absence in the Lok Sabha while the house was deliberating on serious issues are dubbed as lack of interest or even deliberate evasion.

Though Kunhalikutty has sought to downplay the discontent within the party over the way national issues were dealt with, there were reports the issue came up for discussion at the leaders’ meet here on September 4. A section of leaders had cornered Kunhalikutty for not seriously addressing the issues such as withdrawal of Article 370 in Kashmir and the National Register for Citizenship (NRC) in Assam.

The Muslim Youth League went a step further raising the demand of ‘generation change’ in the party to accommodate youth and women. What triggered such debates are the changed mood of the rank file who think that Kunhalikutty should have done at least half of what Owaisi did in the Lok Sabha.

But observers feel that the fascination for Owaisi is only an emotional reaction from the youth.

“I had expressed my reservation against Kunhalikutty going to Delhi at the time of Lok Sabha elections itself. He has nothing to do in national politics and he should come back to Kerala,” said political commentator O Abdulla.

Ashraf Kadakkal, assistant professor at Kerala University, acknowledged that Owaisi and N K Premachandran have become the darlings of the Muslims in Kerala. “But there is little chance for Owaisi to become the leader of Kerala Muslims because his style of functioning is not approved by many in the state,” he said.