Malappuram:

The by-poll was necessitated by the resignation of P V Anvar. In 2024, Anvar, who won as an LDF-backed independent candidate from Nilambur in the 2021 assembly elections, had a major fallout with the CPM and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The election dates for the Nilambur by-poll is finally announced. The much awaited by-poll will be held on June 19. The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule of by-elections in five assembly constituencies of Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal on Sunday.

The UDF and mainly the Congress and Muslim league exudes confidence, as the party has already started preparatory work ahead of the elections.

“The UDF will win the elections with an overwhelming majority in Nilambur as the people are with us. People of Nilambur have seen how the LDF has ruled the state in the past 9 years and the people will give a reply through the voting machine. CPI(M) does not have any support base in this constituency and hence it will be a walkover for the UDF”, said PV Anwar while speaking to the media.

The LDF is yet to recover from PV Anvar’s unexpected resignation from both the alliance and his MLA post. While the Congress has shortlisted some potential candidates, the CPM has not yet finalised its list.

BJP has not announced its candidate for the by-polls. Meanwhile state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar slammed the UDF and the LDF alleging that the elections was forced on the people by the selfish political motives of an individual referring to PV Anwar’s decision to resign from the CPI(M) and pave way for elections in the constituency.

“This is just an eye wash and the polls was necessitated by the selfish political moves of an individual. The people of Kerala can sense this and they will give an appropriate reply to those responsible”, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a statement.

The by-election is also expected to serve as a political testing ground for smaller parties in the state, many of which are eager to secure a future alliance with either the UDF or the LDF.

The Congress is expected to field Aryadan Shoukath, the political heir of veteran leader Aryadan Mohammed. Malappuram DCC president VS Joy has also been actively lobbying for the seat. The party is unlikely to bypass Shoukath.

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