Kerala: CPM Fields M Swaraj for Nilambur Bypoll

Thiruvananthapuram: With the CPM naming former MLA and state secretariat member M Swaraj as the LDF candidate, the Nilambur bypoll is set for an interesting electoral battle.

The bypoll to Nilambur constituency in Malappuram district of Kerala was necessitated by the resignation of sitting MLA P V Anwar following his differences with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the ruling CPM.

The polling will be held on June 19 and the counting will take place on June 23.

The Congress-led UDF has already named Aryadan Shoukath as its candidate, while the BJP is yet to declare its candidate.

"We are seeking people's mandate on the strength of our government's performance. We are hopeful a positive mandate," said Swaraj.

CPM leadership also believes that the voters will teach a lesson to Anwar. "He betrayed the LDF and people's mandate," said CPM state secretary M V Govindan.

This is first time in ten years that the CPM has put up its own candidate who will fight on the party symbol.

The CPM experimented with independent candidate Anwar, in 2016, and he won. In the next elections in 2021, the party fielded him again and retained the seat with a slender margin of 2700 votes though.

Nilambur is a traditional stronghold of the UDF. Congress stalwart late Aryadan Mohammad won from here eight times including six times in a row from 1987 to 2011.

The seat went to the CPM backed independent after 24 years only after Aryadan retired from active politics and passed the baton to his son Aryadan Shoukath in 2016.

But Shoukath lost the polls to Anwar by a margin of 11,504 votes.

"We are confident of victory this time. The bypoll will be a referendum on the `anti-people' policies of the Pinarayi Vijayan government which has been in office for nine years. People are waiting to give a befitting reply,"he said.

The UDF believes that their candidate has a good chance, as P V Anwar, who raised several serious allegations against the Chief Minister's office and the government, is no longer part of the Left camp.

But all is not well within the UDF. Anwar who was in favour of DCC president V S Joy, is not happy with Shoukath's candidature. He has even threatened to contest as TMC candidate.

Efforts are on from the UDF to mollify him and dissuade him from contesting the bypoll. It goes without saying that if Anwar contests, he will harm UDF more than anyone else. Hence, they cannot afford division of votes at this juncture.

Anwar has put a condition that his party should be included as an associate member of the Congress led UDF. The Congress ledership is mulling over his demand.

There are 2,32,384 voters including 1,18,889 female voters nd , 1,13, 486 male voters in the constituency.

Anwar, has considerable influence in parts of the constituency. His decision will be crucial.

The BJP, which secured 8595 votes in the last assembly elections, has not decided on its candidate yet.

Though the bypoll is not going to have any impact on the current strength of 140 member Kerala assembly where the LDF has a brute majority of 99 seats, the outcome will be significant as it might give some indications regarding the future course of Kerala politics ahead of the crucial 2026 assembly polls.