Muslim groups in Kerala urge Election Commission to postpone Friday polls

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and a Muslim organisation in Kerala have appealed to the Election Commission to postpone.

The Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 26, citing the significance of Friday as a sacred day for the Muslim community.

PMA Salam, IUML state general secretary, stated that holding elections on Friday, April 26, in Kerala would cause inconvenience to voters, election officials, and polling agents.

“Friday is Jumu’ah, a day when Muslims gather in mosques. It would be difficult to vote on this day in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. We have brought this to the attention of the Election Commission,” he said.

Besides IUML, Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a prominent Muslim organisation in Kerala, expressed concerns that Friday polls would pose challenges for voters and officials on duty and could affect voter turnout.

“Jumu’ah is a worship that must be performed by the entire population of a region,” Samastha Kerala said in a statement.

The organisation’s president, Syed Muhammad Jifri Muthukkoya, and General Secretary K Alikutty Musaliyar have written to the Central Election Commission requesting the postponement of polling scheduled for April 26.

Earlier on Saturday, the Election Commission announced that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be held from April 19 to June 1 in seven phases.

The results will be declared on June 4.