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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nilambur byelection: Day of reckoning for UDF and LDF
Kozhikode: Counting of votes for the high-stakes Nilambur assembly bypoll will take place on Monday. The bypoll saw a keenly-contested race between UDF and LDF, with former Left-backed MLA and independent candidate PV Anvar adding complexity to the race. A UDF win would signal public discontent with the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF govt, while an LDF victory would strengthen the ruling front's push for a third term in power. The counting will begin at 8am on Monday at Marthoma Higher Secondary School in Chungathara. Officials will open the strongroom holding EVMs at 7.30am in the presence of candidates' agents. Counting will start with postal ballots at 8am, followed by EVM votes from 8.10am. There will be 14 tables for counting EVM votes, four for postal ballots and one for pre-counting electronically transmitted postal ballot system votes. Votes from 263 polling booths will be counted in 19 rounds, covering 14 booths per round. After all rounds, officials will count VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations separately in the presence of Election Commission observers. A total of 86 officials will manage the counting, including 25 micro-observers, 24 counting supervisors, 30 counting assistants and seven assistant returning officers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ductless Air Conditioners Are Selling Like Crazy [See Why] Keep Cool Click Here Undo The third round of randomization for officials will take place at 5:30am on Monday. The entire counting process will be monitored using CCTV surveillance. A three-tier security system—comprising central forces, state police and local police—will deploy 900 personnel on duty. Election Commission observers and the returning officer will oversee the process. Following EC guidelines, arrangements have been made for candidates and their agents to monitor counting. EVM counting will start with UDF-ruled Vazhikkadavu panchayat, followed by Moothedam panchayat. If there is no clear lead in these initial rounds, it will likely indicate the tone for the final result. Otherwise, suspense will build as later booths—including Amarambalam, where the LDF expects a strong lead—are counted at the end. After Vazhikkadavu and Moothedam, counting will proceed with other panchayats like Edakkara, Pothukallu, Chungathara, Nilambur, Karulayi and Amarambalam. UDF expects its candidate Aryadan Shoukath to win by over 10,000 votes, while CPM's internal booth-level data estimates a narrow victory of 1,600 votes for its candidate M Swaraj. Nilambur byelection recorded a voter turnout of 75.87%. Of the 2,32,057 registered voters, 1,76,070 cast their votes, including 1,74,667 through EVMs and 1,403 postal ballots.
The Wire
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
A Test for Ruling Parties as Bypolls in Five Crucial Constituencies Get Underway
Voting for bypolls in five crucial assembly constituencies spread across four states began on June 19, amidst pitched campaigns by all parties in the fray. The bypolls will especially test the political mettle of ruling parties, especially in West Bengal and Kerala, where assembly elections are slated next year, while in Gujarat and Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party that has kept a low profile since its loss in Delhi assembly polls, will look to recover some ground. The constituencies where bypolls were held are Nilambur (Kerala), Kaliganj (West Bengal), Ludhiana West (Punjab), Visavadar and Kadi (Gujarat). The polls in Nilambur are particularly interesting, as the seat was vacated by two-time Left-backed independent legislator P.V. Anvar after his much-publicised fallout with the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Anvar, who began as a leader of Congress-backed Kerala Students Union has had a patchy political journey; he joined the breakaway faction Democratic Indira Congress led by the late K. Karunakaran after breaking ranks with the Congress and later joined hands with the Left Democratic Front as an independent contestant from Nilambur. He was seen as a zealous supporter of chief minister Vijayan but later blamed the state police for its alleged anti-minority mindset. He accused the police under Vijayan of stigmatising Muslim residents of Malappuram district as 'gold smugglers' and 'hawala operators' and severely lashed out at the chief minister for its conspicuous silence. Anvar even attempted to seek support from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, only to be rebuffed by Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin. Finally, he joined the Trinamool Congress, declared that he would lead its expansion in Kerala, and submitted his resignation as the Nilambur MLA to evade anti-defection law. Although popular, Anvar is not contesting the bypolls himself. In this absence, the Left Democratic Front-led by Vijayan will look to win the seat to establish its control in the important Malabar seat. Vijayan has picked M. Swaraj, who has sharply risen in stature in the CPI(M) over the last few years, as the LDF's candidate, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front has nominated its 2016 candidate Aryadan Shoukath to the constituency. Shoukath's father Aryadan Mohammad had won the seat eight times. The UDF faces a challenge too, as it has lost two successive state elections and a win from its traditional seat will boost its confidence and galvanise edgy allies like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). In any case, the contest is likely to be tight as Anvar has won the seat with a margin of only 2,700 votes in 2021 when he defeated Congress's V.V. Prakash. The urban constituency in Punjab has suddenly become keenly-watched fare, as its electoral outcome will signal whether the ruling Aam Aadmi Party still enjoys its popularity in the state or not. Many observers have noted that the AAP government in the state has been facing a lot of criticism from many sections of the population. Since Ludhiana (West) is an affluent constituency, majorly comprising Hindu Khatris, the BJP is looking to make a comeback and has fielded the popular Jiwan Gupta to take on AAP's Rajya Sabha MP and industrialist Sanjeev Arora, who is contesting his maiden election. The seat fell vacant after sitting AAP legislator Gurpreet Bassi Gogi's death in an accident. AAP's top brass – Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Atishi – have camped in Ludhiana to campaign for Arora, and is said to be overseeing all preparations. In 2022, Gogi defeated Congress's Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a little over 7,500 votes. Ashu has been fielded by the Congress again. The BJP believes that its candidate Gupta will get votes from traditional AAP and Congress supporters, and is likely to challenge the two parties like never before. However, the BJP has never won this seat. On the other hand, the Congress has won the seat six times since its creation in 1977, while the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) has won it twice. In this image released by @msisodia via X on June 17, 2025, AAP leader Manish Sisodia during a roadshow for the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency by-elections, in Ludhiana, Punjab. Photo: X/@msisodia via PTI. The saffron party, however, hopes to repeat its Lok Sabha performance in the seat. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Ludhiana seat was won by Congress's Amarinder Singh Raja Warring but the BJP's candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu, who had recently defected from the Congress, had taken a lead in the assembly segment. The party's performance will also be a test case for Sunil Jakhar, who was made the party president of the state after the former senior Congress leader defected to the BJP. The SAD has fielded Parupkar Singh Ghuman, a prominent lawyer in the city, and it will look to claw back into relevance after a series of electoral setbacks in the state. However, its presence in the urban seat has been marginal lately. Here, the contest appears to be polarised between the ruling Trinamool Congress and a fledgling BJP. While TMC has fielded Alifa Ahamed, daughter of the sitting MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed who died of a cardiac arrest, the BJP has nominated Ashish Ghosh. The seat has historically seen a tight contest between the TMC and the Congress, the latter having been dominant for many years. However, over the last decade, the TMC has registered its strong organisational presence in the seat, while Congress has weakened considerably. The shift can be seen in the difference between the electoral outcomes of 2016 and 2021. In 2016, the Congress's Hasanuzzaman S.K. narrowly defeated the TMC 's Nasiruddin Ahamed but the grand old party faded into a distant third position in 2021 registered on around 12% votes. TMC's Ahamed won the seat with over 53% votes in 2021 but the BJP, which had received only 5.56% votes in 2016, shot to the second position with nearly 31% votes, indicating a strong Hindu-Muslim polarisation. The saffron party has yet again attempted to polarise the elections along religious lines by raking up memories of the recent Murshidabad riots where Hindus were allegedly attacked by Muslim protestors against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. It has attempted to consolidate Hindu votes, while hoping a division among the Muslims between the TMC and the Congress in the minority-dominated seat. The Congress has fielded a relatively new face, Kabil Uddin. TMC candidate Alifa Ahmed during a campaign rally for the bypoll of Kaliganj Assembly constituency, in Nadia district, West Bengal, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Photo: PTI. The saffron party will look to consolidate its presence in Kadi, which it has won with over 50% votes in the last two elections. However, the Visavadar seat has turned out to be an interesting battleground, with the Aam Aadmi Party fielding Gopal Italia, who shot to fame during the 2015 Patidar agitation in the state. Kejirwal has himself addressed multiple rallies in Visavadar in support of Italia. AAP's Bhupendrabhai Gandubhai Bhayani had won Visavadar in Gujarat's Junagadh in 2022, but his recent switch to the BJP left the seat vacant. Bhayani had won the seat by securing nearly 45% votes and defeated BJP's Harshadkumar Ribadiya by over 7000 votes. However, the BJP did not field Bhayani for the bypolls and has instead chosen its former district president Kirit Patel. Making the contest triangular is Congress's Nitin Ranpariya, who will be looking to gain a foothold in this former party bastion. BJP appears to be confident in Kadi which it secured over 50% even amidst strong anti-incumbency sentiment against the party in 2017. The chief opposition here is the Congress, which has only fallen through the charts in the last two elections. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
The Print
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
A Kerala bellwether is voting. Why CM Pinarayi Vijayan has staked all in Nilambur
In the by-poll, Shoukath faces a formidable challenge from the Left Democratic Front (LDF)'s M Swaraj. The ruling Left Front has unleashed a no-holds barred campaign spearheaded by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, driving home the significance of the by-election to their fortunes. In Nilambur, none of the people seem to refer to Shoukath by his name, or even the famous Aryadan surname: It's always Bapputty, his nickname from childhood. For sure Shoukath might pass off as a 40-year-old even today, but he has turned 61 this year, breaking out after waiting forever in the wings, behind his father and Congress stalwart Aryadan Muhammed. Bapputty…Bapputty…, an old man with a dishevelled look calls out to Aryadan Shoukath—the United Democratic Front candidate in the much-hyped Nilambur by-election—as his campaign vehicle makes his way through Vazhikkadavu. Shoukath disembarks and gives the man a hug, whispers something in his ear, and moves on. With assembly elections just a few months away, the 19 June by-poll has truly become a bellwether. Anvar's failed gambit The mercurial PV Anvar adds colour to the contest. Afterall, his resignation as the Left-backed independent triggered the election in the first place. When Anvar resigned earlier this year, he had pledged his support for the UDF – only to fall out when the Congress nominated his arch-nemesis, Aryadan Shoukath, as its candidate. Both Shoukath and Anvar are close relatives, as Shoukath's mother, PV Mariyumma, comes from Anvar's 'Puthen Veetil' family at Edavanna. After his resignation, Anvar initially recommended Malappuram District Congress Committee (DCC) president VS Joy, a Christian face, as a UDF candidate. Anvar was casting two birds with one stone—aside from his hatred for Shoukath, he wanted to ensure that Joy wouldn't become a hindrance for him if he decided to contest from the neighbouring Thiruvambady in 2026. The Congress saw red when Anvar went on a tirade against Shoukath in his typical manner, which resulted in the UDF closing its door on him for the time being. While Anvar is back in the fray, the original cause behind his resignation—the slew of allegations he had made against Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan—is not on top of his poll agenda anymore. Anvar's goal is limited to playing spoiler and ensuring the defeat of Shoukath, thus proving his utility to the UDF in the run-up to the 2026 assembly election. A random visitor to the Nilambur constituency might walk away with the impression that Anvar is the frontrunner. The moneybags politician has put up several hoardings, despite being decimated in terms of feet on the ground. Nilambur is a rare instance of a constituency where the Congress has more cadres on the ground than the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). Along with ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and its well-oiled party machinery, the UDF has more than matched the Left campaign blitzkrieg. Also read: Kerala has an education crisis. Student migration has doubled since 2020 The Aryadan Muhammed factor Aryadan Muhammed, who contested eleven elections between 1965 and 2016, is still very much a factor in this constituency, tucked away in the foothills of the Western Ghats. Nilambur is the only constituency in the Muslim-majority Malappuram district where the community doesn't constitute an absolute majority. Aryadan Muhammed, mononymously called Aryadan, was a most unique politician. He took on the Islamists and Muslim orthodoxy from within the UDF, playing a balancing role to the IUML brand of identity politics. He had utility not just for the Congress, but even beyond it. Aryadan didn't hesitate to take on the IUML when it came to larger issues involving the Muslim community. And he was even more vehement in his criticism of the communal elements within the Muslim fold, such as preacher Abdul Nasar Madany, the Popular Front of India, and the Jamaat-e-Islami. The secular image that Aryadan bore ensured that he kept winning from Nilambur, despite the IUML cadres not always being on the same page. Aryadan's aversion to the IUML (and the Communists) is rooted in his childhood experiences. Aryadan's eldest brother, Alawi Haji, was a leader within the Muhammad Ali Jinnah-led All-India Muslim League (AIML) at a time when Malappuram was witnessing demands for a 'Moplahstan' (along the lines of Pakistan). Their father was an unlettered timber merchant, and young Aryadan came to be enchanted with the Indian National Congress. In an interview with me in 2021, Aryadan told me how his antipathy to the Communists began: 'On August 15 1947, as a bunch of us were marching with the Indian flag, another procession with a smattering of black and red flags came from the opposite direction. It was led by Communist leaders TK Madhavan and Kunjunni. They refused to acknowledge India's Independence'. Also read: Kerala Congress is now left of Left. And confused Shoukath's long apprenticeship Aryadan Shoukath is very much in the mould of his father. A late bloomer of sorts, Shoukath was initially into script-writing and grassroots politics. His later stints as the president of the Nilambur Panchayat and chairman of the Nilambur municipality won him plaudits from the Left government. He also won awards and accolades for his socially-conscious films. The theme of his movies – such as Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam (2003), and Daivanamathil (2005) – exposing the Jamaat-e-Islami and casting the orthodoxy in poor light, brought him the ire of fundamentalist elements. Shoukath's long wait for a Congress ticket to the assembly seemed to end in 2016, when the senior Aryadan bowed out of electoral politics. All those waiting to strike back at Aryadan, however, got their chance to accomplish that—by defeating his son on the plank of anti-dynastic politics. Shoukath's election loss to Anvar gradually brought a subtle change of approach to Shoukath's politics, with his attack on fundamentalists becoming less frequent. Shoukath was overlooked for the Nilambur ticket in 2021, and Oommen Chandy's death emboldened his detractors further. With VS Joy shifting his loyalties to the KC Venugopal camp and forming an axis with AP Anil Kumar, Shoukath began to get sidelined in Malappuram. Also read: Pinarayi Vijayan's double-speak on women's security needs to be called out Shoukath's temptations Nevertheless, Shoukath and his faction kept themselves busy by organising parallel programmes, and eventually brought themselves on a collision course with the party last year. Shoukath, perhaps, was warming up to the CPI-M. According to some sections of Kerala media, he was exploring his options beyond the Congress, with the Marxists ever willing to appropriate him. Earlier this year, while Shoukath was recuperating from a leg injury, I visited him at his home, located right in the middle of Nilambur town. He stridently ruled out the possibility of contesting as a Left-backed independent if the Congress went ahead with Joy—even if the Marxist leaders in Malappuram thought otherwise. A restive Shoukath had already 60 at the time, and knew at the back of his head that the by-election was his last bus to becoming the people's representative of Nilambur. It was evident that Shoukath had gone softer on the Marxists, unlike his father, who remained a die-hard anti-Marxist until his death in 2022. Matters came to a head in April as the by-poll approached, with VS Joy's name gaining an upper hand over Shoukath's. Congress had nearly fixed Joy as part of a strategy to address the Syro-Malabar Church's displeasure with it over the Munambam issue. Journalists in Nilambur told me that the CPI-M sent feelers to Shoukath at this stage, with the party allegedly deputing its former Thrippunithura legislator and Nilambur-native M Swaraj to handle it. However, with the appointment of Sunny Joseph as state chief, replacing K Sudhakaran, Shoukath pipped Joy to the Congress ticket. And, in an ironic twist, Swaraj was nominated by the CPI-M to take him on in Nilambur. Also read: CPI-M is damaging Kerala with its petty politics. God's own country to 'mini-Pakistan' The importance of being M Swaraj Unlike Aryadan Shoukath, who has lived all his life in Nilambur, M Swaraj has spent most of his life outside it. Swaraj's elevation as state secretary of the Students Federation of India (SFI) in 2005 coincided with Pinarayi Vijayan's capture of the state organisation, in the wake of the Malappuram state conference. Swaraj never hid his admiration for Vijayan, perhaps even modelling himself on the Kannur strongman. He was fielded from Thrippunithura in 2016, against minister K Babu, who was then facing allegations in the bar bribery scandal. Swaraj emerged a giant-killer in the election, even if a ministry remained out of bounds. His arrogant ways didn't go down too well with the people of Kochi, though, and K Babu was able to exact his revenge in 2021. That defeat left Swaraj shaken, and for some strange reason, he seemed to hold the media in Kerala responsible for his loss. Until the swift rise of Vijayan's son-in-law Mohammed Riyas, many in the Left ecosystem had marked Swaraj out as a potential future CM. After that, as Swaraj's well-wishers might argue, he has been picked on unfairly. This is especially evident from the remarks targeting him in the CPI-M state conference in Kollam earlier this year. This was seen as a political move designed to fasttrack Riyas into the CPI-M Central Committee, although it didn't eventually materialise for other reasons. This is a far cry from Swaraj's heady days, when he called for VS Achuthanandan's 'capital punishment' – expulsion in Marxist lingo – at the 2012 CPI-M state conference held in Thiruvananthapuram. Despite the enthusiasm around his candidature, there are whispers in the Left ecosystem about Swaraj's uncertain future in case he loses this election. In normal course, the CPI-M simply doesn't possess enough political votes in Nilambur constituency to ensure its win. However, this is anything but a normal election, with many variables, including PV Anvar. Also read: Did media & Left stoke Islamophobia in MEC 7 fitness controversy? Facts say otherwise Anvar's chances PV Anvar is essentially aiming to emerge as a spoiler for Aryadan Shoukath, thereby proving his worth to the UDF, where he still hopes to find a perch in the run-up to the 2026 assembly election. Anvar initially claimed at a press conference that he had 25,000 votes in the constituency, but that is a tall order. Realistically, Anvar is looking to cross 15,000 votes. The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI)'s Sadik Naduthodi contesting as an independent—and Anvar getting allotted the 'scissor' symbol which was assigned earlier to the SDPI in Nilambur—might suggest a covert understanding to transfer votes. Then, there is Jamaat-e-Islami. From the day of Anvar's public rebellion against the Left, the Jamaat and its media outfits such as MediaOne have been his biggest cheerleaders. There is a reason for that, though. Many of the allegations that Anvar raised against the Left were Jamaat's talking points over the years. 'Out of Focus', a show on MediaOne, remains steadfast in its support for Anvar. Therefore, even if the Welfare Party of India—the Jamaat's political wing—might publicly extend its support to the UDF, it is very likely that its cadres would vote en masse for Anvar. Even then, polling figures over the years suggest that both the SDPI and Jamaat cannot fetch Anvar more than 7,500 votes in Nilambur. Also read: Kerala Left is becoming indistinguishable from Right—turncoats, ideological erosion, hypocrisy BJP's Christian outreach One reason for the Left fielding M Swaraj over independent faces was ensuring that its political votes remained intact and did not shift to Anvar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had initially mulled staying out of the contest, given that it has a really poor record in the constituency. However, it later fielded a defector from the Kerala Congress (Joseph), Mohan George. George, an advocate by profession, took membership of the BJP the day after he was named candidate. He is also a former office bearer of the Syrian Marthoma Church in the constituency, where the Marthomites number around 6,000. Essentially, Mohan George's candidature is an extension of the BJP's experiment of chipping away at the Christian vote bank of Congress. However, the Christians in Nilambur, who number around 40,000 as of 2011, are more political than the ones in central Kerala. The move comes with its own risk — the BJP faces the prospect of some of its Hindu votes going to the CPI-M, given Swaraj's Nair credentials. In fact, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha's support for the Left is being seen in this light. If the BJP ends up a poor fourth behind Anvar, it will turn out to be a massive embarrassment for Rajeev Chandrasekhar in his first test as state president. Also read: There's no questioning 'Captain' Vijayan in Kerala—not even his oversized role in LDF's defeat IUML's predicament That the IUML has no representation in the Nilambur municipality is a strange phenomenon. The legacy of the cold war between the IUML and Aryadan Muhammed is primarily responsible for this. Unlike elsewhere in Malappuram, where the Congress plays second fiddle to the IUML, Nilambur is very much an exception. The senior Aryadan always found ways to win – and win handsomely despite the IUML's reluctance to support him. Naturally, there were apprehensions about the two parties matching their wavelengths at the beginning of the campaign. Despite initial hiccups – such as the IUML's Panakkad Thangals being conspicuous in their absence at the UDF convention – the cadres seemed to get their act together. Shoukath enjoys massive goodwill in the constituency, and knows a lot of people by name, underscoring his people connect. Nilambur is part of the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, and Shoukath's roadshow with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra turned out to be a hit. Meanwhile, Pinarayi Vijayan remains the star campaigner of the Left despite turning 80, and took time out to address rallies in every panchayat in the constituency. With massive anti-incumbency at play, a win against all odds in Nilambur will be the harbinger of a third term and deflate the Congress. However, the Left is aware that victory won't come easy this time. A parallel can be drawn between Swaraj's campaign and a rising P Sreeramakrishnan's in 2006, where the Marxist party seemed to pull out all stops—only to lose by over 18,000 votes. This election is much closer, with the delimitation of constituencies in 2009 also boosting the Left's prospects. Add to that the damage that Anvar might inflict on the UDF and the BJP votes the Left might attract. These factors make the election a really unpredictable affair. Anand Kochukudy is a Kerala-based journalist and columnist. He tweets @AnandKochukudy. Views are personal. (Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
LDF free of dubious links unlike UDF with JEI: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
Kozhikode: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on UDF for accepting the support of Welfare Party, the political arm of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) in Nilambur. Calling it a highly opportunistic move, he accused UDF of allying with anyone opposing LDF, regardless of the dangers it poses to society. At LDF campaigns in Chungathara and Moothedam on Friday, he said a desperate Congress and UDF, rattled by the growing public support for LDF, had abandoned their earlier positions. He said it's hard to digest that Congress leadership took the stand without the knowledge of IUML leadership and asked what was the reason for the party to ditch its earlier stand on the matter. "For nine years, they were not in power and now they are willing to join hands with anyone for votes," he said. "Some sections were kept away because of their stand on various issues. JEI is one such organization. When they (UDF) reached a point where they can no longer hold ground on their own, they chose to blatantly align with anyone," alleged Vijayan, adding that our society is capable of recognizing the same. Vijayan said everyone knows that LDF would not venture into such unholy agreements. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "We have always made it clear that LDF does not need the support of divisive, sectarian or communal forces," he added. Vijayan said it would be good for IUML's leadership to remember why the then heads of Panakkad Thangal family did not attend the programmes organized by institutions affiliated to JEI. "It was because they knew what JEI is," he added. Vijayan came down heavily on AICC general secretary KC Venugopal for his alleged comment that LDF govt was trying to turn the distribution of welfare pensions into a bribe before bypolls. "What kind of bankruptcy is that? It reflects the anti-poor mindset of Congress. But LDF govt will go ahead with whatever it announced and disburse amounts at appropriate time," he added. Vijayan reiterated his 'betrayal' remarks in a reference to former Left-backed independent MLA PV Anvar saying that the byelection was forced on the people due to his actions. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hans India
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Nilambur by-election campaign gathers steam, rival fronts make victory claims
Nilambur (Kerala): With the second round of campaigning for the Nilambur assembly by-election gaining momentum, both the traditional rival fronts in Kerala on Tuesday expressed confidence in their victory. With the campaigning starting to peak after the Bakrid break, two star campaigners - Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi for the Congress-led United Democratic Front - are arriving in Nilambur later this week. Nilambur goes to the polls on June 19, and the principal fight is between Aryadan Shoukath of the Congress and of the CPI-M, with two-time Left-backed Independent legislator P.V. Anvar, who quit in January following a major spat with Chief Minister Vijayan, and Mohan George of the BJP also in the fray. On Tuesday morning, the state's ruling CPI-M held its state secretariat meeting near Nilambur and concluded that fielding Swaraj has changed things and they are on course to win the June 19 polls. Likewise, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who is spearheading the Congress-led UDF's campaign, said they are winning hands down. "We are heading for a win, and we will take back Nilambur," he said. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a row broke out with CPI-M state Secretary slamming the Congress for having an electoral tie-up with the Welfare Party, which has the backing of the Jamaat-e-Islami. Satheesan hit back at Govindan and said all know that not long ago, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Welfare Party had supported the CPI-M. ' When any party supports the CPI-M, then they are all secular, but when the same party supports us, then they become communal. We all know that when (E.K.) Nayanar-led Left government was at the helm of affairs, one of their achievement was putting PDP leader (Abdul Nazeer) Madani behind bars, and now the PDP is supporting the Left,' said Satheesan. However, Govindan contended that the PDP and Jamaat-e-Islami are different. From 1965 onwards, the Congress candidates won the Nilambur seat a record 11 times, the CPI-M twice, and a Left-supported independent candidate thrice. Nilambur assembly constituency is part of the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, and Priyanka Gandhi secured a staggering 65,132 votes from the segment in the November bypolls, while Anvar, when contesting as a CPI-M supported candidate in 2016, won with 11,504 votes and in 2021, the margin came down to a mere 2,700 votes.
