Malappuram (Kerala) [India], June 19 (ANI): Nilambur Assembly bye-election in Kerala saw a 13.15% voter turnout till 9 am from the start of polling at 7 am. The bypoll has been necessitated after the resignation of Left Democratic Front independent legislator PV Anvar, who later joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) after his acrimonious break-up with the ruling alliance.
The LDF has fielded M Swaraj, the United Democratic Front (UDF) has fielded Aryadan Shoukath, while the BJP has fielded Adv. Mohan George is a candidate for the Nilambur Assembly constituency. Anvar is also contesting the election after his talks with the UDF did not materialise his entry into the alliance.
Swaraj and Aryadan Shoukath were seen greeting each other when they met at a polling booth.
The bye-election is crucial for both the ruling LDF and the UDF, as the results will be seen as a reflection of voter sentiment ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls in the State.
Earlier, stressing that the Nilambur by-election is the semi-final before the 2026 Assembly polls, Kerala LoP and Congress MLA VD Satheesan said that they will emerge victorious, which will mark the beginning of the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) return to the state.
Speaking to ANI, Satheesan said, “This is a political contest, a direct fight between the UDF and the LDF. It is the semi-final leading up to the 2026 Assembly elections, and we are confident of winning by a significant margin. We see this as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi government accountable, a government that has been in power for the past nine years.”
During the election campaign, LDF leaders, including the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, slammed the Congress-led UDF for accepting Jamaat-e-Islami’s support for its candidate. Hitting back, the UDF leaders accused the ruling alliance of fomenting Islamophobia.
However, the chief minister said that opposing Jamaat-e-Islami’s theocratic ideology was not tantamount to stoking Islamophobia.
UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukhath expressed confidence in a UDF victory for the constituency, saying that the state government has “totally neglected Nilambur area,” with tribals not being rehabilitated and increasing human-animal conflict.
“There will be a good victory in this election. For the last nine years, the state government has totally neglected the Nilambur area. Many tribals have not been rehabilitated. There is also human-animal conflict here,” Shoukath told ANI. (ANI)
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