Kerala: Electioneering Picks Up for Nilambur By Poll
Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath files nomination, CPM's M Swaraj holds road show
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Electioneering picked up for Nilambur by poll in Kerala with the Congress-led UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath filing his nomination on Saturday.
His main rival, CPM led LDF candidate M Swaraj arrived in Nilambur to a rousing reception from the workers.
"The UDF will wrest the seat from the LDF this time. The enthusiasm of voters here clearly indicates that they want a change. They are fed up with the incumbent government," Aryadan Shoukath told reporters after filing the nomination papers.
The bye-election was necessitated due to the resignation of P V Anvar who won the seat as an independent candidate with the backing of CPM in the assembly poll in 2021. He resigned following differences with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
CPM candidate M Swaraj also took a out a massive road show in Nilambur on Saturday in which hundreds of LDF works took part. When asked whether the bypoll will be a referendum on the Pinarayi Vijayan government , Swaraj told reporters;``all issues will be discussed during the campaign. The government's social welfare measures and development initiatives will be part of main agenda. Centre's neglect of the state and attacks on the secular fabric of our country will also come up in the campaign."
Swaraj will file his nomination papers on Monday.
Meanwhile, there is still confusion in the NDA camp over the Nilambur bypoll. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrashekhar was non-committal about contesting the poll. "This is an election that has been unnecessarily thrust upon the people by LDF and UDF,” he told reporters.
The BJP wants its ally BDJS to contest from Nilambur. However, the BDJS leadership has not decided yet on the issue.
Interestingly, both LDF and UDF camps have already started levelling allegations and counter allegations that the NDA indecision is because of an "under hand deal."
With June 2 being the last date of nomination, BJP leaders say there is still time to take a decision on the matter.
Meanwhile, Anwar whose demand for entry into the UDF as a coalition partner was rejected by the Congress leadership, has not ruled out the possibility of entering the fray. The UDF leadership had agreed to make the former MLA an associate member of the front. However, he is not willing to accept the offer.
