Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 12 (IANS): For the first time in a quarter of a century, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second biggest constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, on Friday announced a woman among the list of its candidates for the April 6 Kerala Assembly polls.

In the 1996 Assembly polls, the IUML fielded Qamrunisa Anwar from the Calicut-2 Assembly constituency but she lost by less than 9,000 votes.

This time around, Noorbina Rasheed, a popular party leader, has been asked to contest the Kozhikode South seat, held currently by party veteran M.K. Muneer. He has been moved to another constituency in the same district.

Releasing the list in Malappuram, IUML supremo Panakad Hyderali Shihab Thangal said that this time, there was consensus in the party that all those who have had served three terms would not be re-nominated, but an exemption was made for three - P.K. Kunhaliikutty, Muneer and K.P.A. Majeed.

Five sitting legislators who had three or more terms have been dropped.

"This time, the IUML will be contesting in 27 seats, three more than 2016 and the candidates for two seats (Punalur or Chadayamanagalam, and Perambara) will be announced later. Representations have been given to all sections and the list is a comprehensive one," he said.

In the 2016 polls, the IUML contested 24 seats and won 19.