Kerala Bypoll: LDF’s Swaraj, P V Anvar, BJP candidate Mohan George File Nomination Papers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With former MLA P V Anvar and BJP candidate Mohan George filing their nomination papers on Monday, the Nilambur by-poll in Kerala is all set to witness a four-cornered electoral battle.

Anvar, who was engaged in discussions with the Congress-led UDF leadership over the past couple of weeks for gaining entry into the opposition front, chose to contest the polls after opposition leader V D Satheeshan said in no uncertain terms that the doors are shut for him.

Anvar, the state coordinator of Trinamool Congress, is a key player in Nilambur. The bypoll was necessitated by his resignation from the assembly following serious differences with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier this year.

Though the UDF leadership is putting up a brave face, saying Anvar's entry into the fray is not going to make any impact, a section of Congress and Muslim League leaders are making efforts to persuade him to withdraw from the contest. The deadline for withdrawal of nomination is on June 5.

The UDF leadership had earlier decided to make him an associate member, but Anvar insisted on becoming a permanent partner. Things took an ugly turn with the TMC leader unleashing a scathing attack on opposition leader V D Satheeshan, calling him "Hitler" and also casting serious aspersions on the UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath.

The UDF leadership said "enough is enough" and decided to shut the door on Anvar.

CPM candidate Swaraj files nomination

M Swaraj filed his nomination papers on Monday. He was accompanied by CPM politburo member A Vijayaraghavan, state secretariat member P K Biju and other senior leaders.

The CPM camp is hopeful of retaining the seat on the strength of the LDF government's development initiatives and social welfare measures.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the LDF campaign in the constituency with a big election convention on Sunday. The Chief Minister hailed Swaraj as the best candidate to represent the people of Nilambur.

BJP enters fray

The BJP-led NDA also entered the fray on Monday with its candidate Mohan George filing his nomination papers. Initially BJP was reluctant to contest as the party felt that the bypoll was unnecessarily thrust upon the people by the LDF and UDF.

However, the leadership realised that staying out of the contest would give rise to allegations of `under hand' deal with the Left to defeat the Congress. This assembly constituency also falls within Priyanka Gandhi's Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.

Meanwhile, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal inaugurated the UDF election convention in Nilambur on Monday. He said the bypoll has brought an opportunity to the voters of Nilambur to vote against the 'anti-people' policies of the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, which has been in office for the last nine years.