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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Nilambur bypoll to be four-cornered contest
The June 19 bypoll in the Nilambur Assembly constituency in Kerala is shaping up to be a fierce four-cornered contest with the addition of PV Anvar and Mohan George as the Trinamool Congress (AITC) and BJP candidates, respectively, in the fray. Anvar, whose resignation in January as a Left-backed Independent lawmaker had forced the bypoll, said on Sunday that he would file his nomination papers on June 2 as an AITC candidate after his persistent efforts to be inducted into the Congress-led UDF proved to be unsuccessful. He said he was forced to take the decision as the UDF 'closed its doors' on him. At a press conference at his home, the former MLA lashed out at Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan, terming him 'autocratic' and accusing him of blocking the path for him to be brought into the UDF. 'This bye-election is an opportunity for the common people of Nilambur to register their protest and grievances against the current LDF dispensation and the chief minister. Particularly, there are hardships being faced by the migrant settlers in hilly areas. We are fighting to win. We will get the anti-incumbency votes against the CM,' Anvar said. Anvar added that the UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath would not succeed in the bypoll as he does not have the strength to counter the politics of Pinarayi Vijayan. The businessman-politician, who won from Nilambur in 2016 and 2021 as an LDF-backed Independent, broke ranks with the LDF last year after levelling a series of allegations against top cop MR Ajith Kumar and senior CPI(M) leader P Sasi. Once seen as a close confidante of CM Vijayan, Anvar gradually made his opposition to the chief minister the bulwark of his politics. After resigning as MLA, Anvar signalled his support to the UDF and had even said that he would not contest the bypoll. Though he tried relentlessly through talks with various UDF leaders to enter the alliance, it is widely assessed that his personal rivalry with Shoukath, a man he had defeated in 2016, proved to be the sore point in the discussions. Satheesan told reporters on Sunday, 'We closed the door for talks with Anvar because he keeps repeating the same allegations against our candidate Aryadan Shoukath.' Meanwhile, on the eve of the last day for filing nominations, the BJP fielded Mohan George, a lawyer who accepted the party's membership on Sunday and was long associated with the PJ Joseph-led Kerala Congress and Kerala Congress (B). George, a native of Nilambur, is a council member of the Mar Thoma Sabha, a prominent Church in the state, and the vice-president of the Mar Thoma Church in Chungathara. George told reporters after his nomination, 'There will be a strong fight here, no doubt. The BJP has a good influence in Nilambur and we seek the votes of every community. I decided to leave the Kerala Congress party because it is not strong here in Malappuram district.' The BJP, through George's candidacy, is seen as building a bridge with the Christian community in the constituency who are a strong vote-bank and hold influence particularly in the high-range areas. While the bye-election in Nilambur is scheduled on June 19, the votes will be counted on June 23. Swaraj a candidate with 'clean image': Kerala CM CM Pinarayi Vijayan, addressing his first LDF election convention in Nilambur on Sunday, exhorted voters and LDF cadres to back M Swaraj stating that he is a candidate with a clean image. 'He (Swaraj) is known to everyone. You have received the news of his candidacy with a lot of is a candidate with a clean image. He can always ask for votes from anyone with his head held high. Such large public attendance at this convention attests to it,' said the CM. At the same time, the CM also trained his guns on Anvar, saying that his 'betrayal' to the Left forced the bypoll. In his convention speech, the CM listed the achievements of his administration and claimed that the state has become a model for good governance.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Vijayan: Anvar's betrayal triggered unexpected bypoll
Kozhikode: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan , who opened LDF's bypoll convention in Nilambur on Sunday, said the bypoll happened because of a grave betrayal. "The assembly election took place in 2021. The govt assumed office in May that year and recently marked four years in power. The next election is due in 2026. But now we face an unexpected election and everyone knows it is because of a serious betrayal," he said. Vijayan said LDF was not worried about the situation. "We enter the contest fully confident of winning because people continue to support the LDF strongly. At every stage, the people have shown their support clearly. Why do people stand with LDF like this? Because their experience shows that LDF delivers and gets things done," said the chief minister. Without naming PV Anvar, former Nilambur MLA and LDF-backed independent whose resignation caused the bypoll, Vijayan used a historical example to highlight betrayal. "Nilambur has a proud history of great fighters. But it is also the place where a deep betrayal happened. A friend visited freedom fighter Variyamkunnath Kunhamed Haji. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Trusting him, Haji let him in, not knowing it was a trap. The British then surrounded and captured him," said Vijayan. Referring to LDF's candidate M Swaraj, Vijayan said people welcomed him warmly in the constituency and across the state. "The people of Nilambur have shown great enthusiasm for his candidature. The scenes during his campaign on Saturday were very different— even those who are not active LDF workers came forward to join the programme," he said.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nilambur byelection evolves into a high-profile four-cornered electoral battle
The byelection to elect a legislator to represent the Nilambur Assembly constituency in the Malappuram district, with barely seven months remaining in the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's term, evolved into a high-profile four-cornered electoral battle on Sunday (June 1, 2025). Political theatre, last-minute switching of sides, and the entry of unexpected candidates marked the hectic day, with the Election Commission's last date for filing nominations expiring on Monday (June 2). The LDF and the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) had put their cards on the table last week by fielding Communist Party of India (Marxist) State committee member M. Swaraj and Congress leader Aryadan Shoukath as their candidates, respectively. The two-term LDF-backed Independent MLA from Nilambur and the present All India Trinamool Congress State convenor, P.V. Anvar, whose acrimonious parting of ways with the ruling front precipitated the byelection, declared his candidature in the bypoll. Mr. Anvar had attempted to tag the Trinamool with the Congress-led UDF since joining West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party in January. Aspiring for a berth in the Opposition alliance, Mr. Anvar initially ruled out contesting the bypoll. He became a fixture at UDF rallies, playing the role of an LDF insider-turned whistleblower against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. However, M. Anvar's relationship with the UDF soured at the last minute after he aired scepticism about Mr. Shaukath's winnability. Earlier, he had discomfited the UDF leadership by attempting to influence candidate selection by prematurely backing V. Joy, a local Congress leader from the Christian settler farmer community, a significant electoral bloc in the Nilambur Assembly constituency. Mr. Anvar singled out the Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, for not billeting him in the UDF. The UDF denied speculation that Mr. Anvar's candidature had injected a measure of variability into the electoral calculus of the Opposition. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which initially viewed the bypoll as insignificant, belatedly changed tack and fielded Mohan George, a Kerala Congress leader aligned with the UDF, as its candidate in Nilambur. The BJP recognised it could ill-afford to remain on the sidelines in an arguably pivotal byelection, widely regarded as an approximate bellwether of Kerala's voting behaviour ahead of the 2026 Assembly election. The LDF weaponised Mr. George's 'shift in allegiance' to push its electoral talking point in the predominantly Muslim Nilambur constituency, stating that the UDF leaders' secular credentials were suspect and that they were increasingly vulnerable to poaching by the BJP.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Momentum in favour of UDF in bypoll, says KPCC chief
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, MLA, on Sunday said that electoral contests should be seen as part of politics and not as personal rivalry and asserted that the UDF would put up a strong show in the upcoming Nilambur byelection. Speaking to reporters in Kannur, Mr. Joseph said the UDF had consistently stood with the people against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, both inside and outside the Assembly. 'We have seen the response of the public in the bypolls at Thrikkakara, Puthuppally and Palakkad. Even in Chelakkara, a stronghold of the LDF, support for the front has waned,' he said. In past bypolls Claiming that the momentum was in favour of the UDF, Mr. Joseph said the front had the upper hand in the recent byelections, whether to the Lok Sabha, the Assembly, or local bodies, and expected a similar outcome in Nilambur. He expressed confidence that UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath would secure a decisive victory. Commenting on the uncertainty around the candidature of P.V. Anvar, the Independent LDF-backed MLA whose resignation necessitated the bypoll, Mr. Joseph said, 'First he said he wouldn't contest, then he changed his mind. His wavering stance is evident.' On Mr. Anvar's reported meeting with Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, Mr. Joseph clarified that it was not initiated by the Congress or the UDF. 'I believe it was a friendly meeting. Many wish to see a broader unity against the Pinarayi government. Such a sentiment might have resulted in that meeting,' he said. Mr. Joseph predicted a significant vote share for the UDF in Nilambur and said the verdict would reflect the public's growing discontent with the LDF government. 'The Chief Minister doesn't even have the courage to call this an assessment of his government. The UDF is fully prepared for Nilambur,' he said.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Kerala: BJP fields Mohan George for Nilambur byelection
New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party announced on Sunday that Mohan George would be its candidate for the byelection in the Nilambur Assembly constituency in Kerala. The election will be held on June 19, and the counting is scheduled for June 23. The election was necessitated by the resignation of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA, who stepped down in January after making several allegations against the Left government in the state, including claims of RSS influence in the home department and the framing of Muslim youth in false cases. The main contest in the constituency is between United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Aryadan Shoukath and the LDF's M Swaraj. The byelection has political significance as it is a precursor to next year's state assembly election and will test the popularity of the current government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. With the announcement of Swaraj's candidature, the CPI(M)'s rank and file are particularly energised, as the party is fielding its own candidate in the constituency after backing independent candidates in several past elections. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate Swaraj's election convention in Nilambur today. Meanwhile, it is not yet clear whether Anvar will contest the election or not. His relationship with the UDF soured after it announced Aryadan Shoukath, his rival in the previous election, as its candidate. He is also enraged with the UDF for not declaring his induction into the alliance. On Friday, Kerala Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader VD Satheesan said that the upcoming Nilambur by-election would be treated as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government accountable. He also confirmed that the first phase of the campaign work has been completed. 'We have already launched the election campaign, and our conventions are also going on... We will take it as an opportunity to prosecute the Pinarai government...' Satheesan told ANI. He added that preparations began a month ago and that significant voter outreach had already been achieved. 'We have completed our first round of election work and started our preparation a month ago. A total of 10,000 voters are enrolled in the election, out of which we have enrolled 8000...' he further added. (ANI)
