Kerala leaves two posts of non-Muslims vacant in reconstituted State Waqf Board

The Kerala government reconstituted the Kerala Waqf Board on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) leaving the two posts reserved for non-Muslims vacant and bringing on board representatives of politically significant Muslim sects.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front government also retained its confidant, M.K. Sakkeer, as the chairperson of the committee, which was reconstituted after the recent enactment of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act.

The non-Muslims are to be brought on board in the category reserved for a person who has professional experience in business management, social work, finance or revenue, agriculture and development activities and a person who is a member of the Bar Council. The government has indicated in the notification that the two persons will be nominated shortly.

The Kerala government reportedly chose to leave the posts reserved for non-Muslims vacant to signal that it is not in a hurry to implement the provisions of the Act that was stiffly opposed by Muslim organisations. The politically significant decision is also being viewed as an attempt by the State government to keep the minority communities in good humour, especially ahead of the Assembly polls.

Incidentally, the Madras High Court had earlier prevented the Tamil Nadu Board from exercising any powers and functions under the Act as the Tamil Nadu government had too left the two posts unfilled.

Other members

CPI(M) leaders A.A. Rahim, MP, and Kunhammed Kutty Master, MLA, are included in the board as representatives of MPs and MLAs.

Samastha leader K. Ummer Faizi, a representative of the E.K. faction of Sunni Muslims, was nominated as the representative of Muttawalli, and P.U. Ali, who reportedly belongs to the AP faction of Sunni Muslims, was picked up in the category reserved for an eminent scholar of Islamic theology.

The board will have three women nominees against the statutory requirement of two. Sareena Salam of Kasaragod, a member of the Kasaragod district panchayat, and Sumitha Nisaf, vice- chairperson of the Kodungalloor municipality, have been picked from among the women local body representatives of the State.

V.M. Rahana, Additional Secretary, Law department, Kerala government, who was a member of the previous board, has been retained.

The members will enjoy a tenure of five years.

C.K. Usman Haji, a businessman from Malappuram, has been accommodated on the board as a person having professional experience in business management.

The newly constituted board will meet shortly, said Mr. Sakkeer.