Betrayed like 'Variyamkunnath': Vijayan on cause of Nilambur bypoll

Malappuram/Kerala: A by-election in Kerala's Nilambur assembly constituency is being held due to a major act of betrayal, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Sunday, in a veiled criticism of former MLA and Trinamool Congress state convenor P V Anvar, PTI reported.

Inaugurating the ruling Left Democratic Front's (LDF) campaign in Nilambur, Vijayan said that the LDF candidate M Swaraj has a clean public image and that the front can confidently seek votes in his name.

"This election has become necessary due to the biggest betrayal. From the moment Swaraj was announced as the candidate, there has been strong support -- not just in Nilambur, but across the state," Vijayan said.

Anvar, who was elected from Nilambur in 2021 as an LDF-backed independent, later quit the alliance after falling out with Vijayan. A vocal critic of the Chief Minister, Anvar, has said his fight is against "Pinarayism," referring to the CM's leadership style.

Referring to the 1921 Mappila uprising in the Eranad and Valluvanad regions during the Khilafat movement, Vijayan said Nilambur is a land that witnessed the struggles of Variyamkunnath Kunjahammed Haji and other freedom fighters.

"But it is also a land where betrayal took place -- where some helped the British capture Variyamkunnath," he said.

"In a similar way, we are now facing this election as victims of betrayal," the CPI(M) veteran said without naming Anvar.

The chief minister added that the LDF is not troubled by such setbacks and is contesting the election with confidence and strong hopes of a clear win.

Vijayan said many people who had not actively participated in LDF events so far came on Saturday to welcome Swaraj.