A third round of bilateral talks between the leadership of the Congress party and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) held here on Friday to iron out their differences over an additional seat for the latter for the coming Lok Sabha elections remained unresolved.

Nothing positive emerged out of the talks between the leaders as the Congress stuck firm stating that the party was unable to spare a third seat. However, leaders said that the IUML would be favoured during the next Assembly polls or would be offered a Rajya Sabha seat.

The IUML high power committee led by its State president Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal would take a final decision at Panakkad in Malappuram on Saturday, sources said.

The talks were held between KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandan, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and United Democratic Front convener Benny Behanan from the Congress side and P.K. Kunhalikutty, K.P.A. Majeed, P.V. Abdul Wahab and M.K. Muneer from the IUML side.

For the last several decades, the IUML has been contesting the Malappuram (Manjeri before delimitation) and Ponnani seats in Malappuram district. But the party stepped up the demand for a third seat as several Muslim pressure groups, especially the Samastha Kerala Jameyyath ul-Ulama, which is backed by the IUML, demanded an additional seat.

One of the reasons cited by many is that the IUML wanted to maintain its clout in the Congress-led UDF even as parties such as the Kerala Congress(M) are getting more than they deserve. Besides, the IUML leadership feels that it will not be a cakewalk for its nominee at Ponnani as the CPI(M)-led LDF plans to field a sitting legislator of Nilambur P.V. Anvar from the constituency.

The local units of the Congress party in Malapuram district appeared to be unhappy with the performance of the sitting MP.