Salman Khurshid elected as President of India Islamic Culture Centre, defeating RSS-backed candidate
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and renowned lawyer Salman Khurshid has won the presidency of the India Islamic Culture Centre (IICC) in a highly contested election. Khurshid secured 721 votes, delivering a significant blow to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which had been making efforts to influence the governing body of the minority institution.
In the race for the IICC's top post, Khurshid faced competition from Dr. Majid Ahmed Talikoti, the national convenor of the RSS-backed Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), who finished third with 227 votes. Khurshid's closest competitor, entrepreneur and philanthropist Asif Habib, secured 278 votes.
Following his victory, Khurshid expressed his gratitude to the members of IICC, stating, "I am deeply honored to be elected as the President of IICC. Thank you to all the members for your trust and support. Together, we will work towards the betterment and preservation of IICC’s values."
The election also saw eight candidates from Khurshid's panel winning seats on the 13-member governing body. The election, held on August 11, marked a historic multi-cornered contest, with final results announced on Wednesday after three days of vote counting.
The IICC, located on government-allotted land on Lodhi Road, aims to promote mutual understanding and amity among people while depicting Islam as tolerant, liberal, progressive, and rational. The organization's elections are held every five years, with only about 2,000 of its more than 4,000 members eligible to vote in the recent elections.
Talikoti's entry into the IICC election, supported by former IICC president and BJP member Sirajuddin Qureshi, was viewed as an attempt by right-wing forces to exert influence over the Muslim body. Qureshi, who had reached the age limit for holding office as per the IICC's Memorandum of Articles, endorsed Talikoti as his successor, leading to a backlash among members who voted overwhelmingly for Khurshid.
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Kerala polls: ‘People rejected 10 years of misrule’, says AICC gen secy
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Kerala Assembly polls was a clear verdict against the “arrogance”, corruption, and nepotism of the CPI(M)-led LDF government headed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference as counting of votes for all 140 Assembly constituencies neared completion, Venugopal said the outcome reflected public anger against what he termed “10 years of misrule” by the Left government.
He claimed that Vijayan’s victory in his home constituency, Dharmadam, was “only technical”, alleging that the CM trailed the UDF candidate in the initial rounds of counting and failed to secure a majority in his own village.
“He just escaped. He suffered a setback even in his home turf. He was the only person who did not realise the people’s mood in this election,” Venugopal said.
Alleging that the CPI(M) and the LDF had resorted to “communal and opportunistic politics”, he further claimed that the ruling front had entered into a “secret understanding” with the BJP in a bid to retain power for a third consecutive term.
He said that when a government driven by power and arrogance attempts to align with anyone to stay in office, even its own cadre turns against it.
Referring to the results, Venugopal said that while the UDF expected rebel CPI(M) leaders, including K Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, to impact the vote share, their victories came as a surprise.
Describing the UDF’s performance as a “historic victory”, he attributed it to coordinated teamwork, grassroots mobilisation, and the dedication of party workers, adding that the alliance accepted the mandate “with humility”.
Venugopal also credited Rahul Gandhi’s campaign guarantees, calling them a “trump card” that helped voters focus on real issues and reject what he described as the LDF’s “false narratives”.
He claimed that the Congress witnessed one of its lowest levels of rebellion in this election, which contributed to the alliance’s strong performance.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP managed to win two seats with the help of the CPI(M), and asserted that forces attempting to divide society on communal lines should “learn a lesson” from Kerala’s verdict.
“This is the real Kerala story,” he said.
On the question of the next Chief Minister, Venugopal said the party leadership would decide at the earliest after due consultations.
The counting of votes began on Monday morning for all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, where the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive majority, defeating the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts, "Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign. As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential… pic.twitter.com/6T4IZbEmp4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026
