“We understand that there is some confusion at the central leadership. It, however, has not affected the PDCI. Our plans for the upcoming panchayat elections are intact. We hope things will be resolved shortly,” a leader of the PDCI told The Indian Express.

The Jamiat’s central leadership is now split into two factions —- one being led by the general secretary Mahmud Madani and the other by the former president Arshad Madani.

Maulana Arshad was removed from his post by the Jamiat’s central working committee on March 6. Subsequently, he announced the formation of a new committee that aroused fear of split in the organisation.

“On April 5, the Jamiat’s general council is meeting to take a final decision,” said Siddiqullah Chowdhury, state secretary of the Jamiat.

So far, the state unit of the Jamiat has been projecting organisational unity under Chowdhury’s leadership, who is steering the PDCI.

However, even a slight rift at the state-level leadership can prove costly to the PDCI’s ongoing political venture for ousting CPM from regions that have substantial voters from the Muslim community, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The Jamiat has around eight lakh members in the state.