Kerala Waqf Board leadership row: Govt reconstitutes panel; non-Muslim members yet to be named

The UDF-led Kerala government has dissolved the state Waqf Board and appointed a fresh nine-member panel headed by Muslim League leader M.C. Mayin Haji. Official orders cited ongoing cases in Kerala High Court and Supreme Court, explaining that the complete restructuring was carried out to resolve administrative disputes in line with judicial directives. The decision fully replaces the previous body appointed by the LDF administration, which was led by Chairman K.S. Hamza.

Newly appointed panel members

The reconstituted board brings in veteran Muslim League (IUML) figure M.C. Mayin Haji, who previously served as a board member on multiple occasions, as its new chairman. Joining him on the panel is MLA Kurukkoli Moideen, who enters as the representative for state lawmakers. The remaining members are Siras D Capsci, Thodiyoor Mammad Kunju Maulavi, Sajna Firoz, Jaseem Sabah, Dr. Abdul Majeed, Salah Madina Begum, and Musthafal Faizy.

While the new setup grants representation to the Mujahid group, it notably excludes anyone from the Kanthapuram Sunni faction. Furthermore, the government has not nominated any non-Muslim members in this order. All members from the previous administration, including Umer Faizy Mukkam, have been removed.

Background to the legal dispute

This government action follows intense legal battles over board control. Outgoing Chairman K.S. Hamza and board member A.A. Rahim, MP, had previously petitioned the Kerala High Court to block the government from dissolving the board. They argued in their affidavit that two minor member vacancies were not a valid legal reason to scrap a functioning 11-member body that had nine qualified appointees.

At the same time, the High Court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the state for failing to fill non-Muslim vacancies and neglecting representation for groups such as Shia, Bohra, and Aghakhani communities. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V.M. Syam Kumar directed the state to file an official affidavit regarding reconstitution within a week. The judges clarified that court directions were meant to keep the board functioning, adding that any fresh issues following reconstitution could be challenged before appropriate legal authorities.