Congress fully prepared for Nilambur by-election: Kerala LoP
text_fields
Kochi: Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, announced that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is fully prepared for the upcoming Nilambur Assembly by-election. This comes after Satheesan's return from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) special session in Gujarat.
The Nilambur seat fell vacant when P.V. Anvar, a two-time MLA backed by the Left Democratic Front (LDF), resigned in January. Anvar's resignation was prompted by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's refusal to investigate alleged irregularities involving top police official M.R. Ajith Kumar and Vijayan's political secretary P. Sasi.
P.V. Anvar, a former critic of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), has shifted allegiances and joined forces with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC). His move comes after meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, where he was appointed convenor of the TMC's Kerala unit.
"Nilambur has always been a traditional seat of the Congress, but for the past two terms, it has not been with us. Anvar has by now openly announced his intent, and he is strongly with us. We have also accepted him," said Satheesan.
"With regards to our candidate, it's a shame that the media is just speculating, for which we are not at all answerable. Just as in all the recent by-elections, the moment the date is announced, we, the Congress, will announce our candidate and romp home easily," added Satheesan.
In the 2016 Assembly elections, Anvar secured a decisive victory over Aryadan Shoukath, son of retired Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed, with a margin exceeding 10,000 votes.
In 2021, Anvar triumphed again, albeit by a narrower margin of 2,700 votes, defeating Congress leader V. V. Prakash. This slim victory has heightened interest in the BJP's strategy for the upcoming by-election, especially amid accusations from both the CPI(M) and UDF of secret alliances with the BJP.
The Congress is banking on Wayanad Lok Sabha member Priyanka Gandhi as its star campaigner, given that the Nilambur Assembly segment is part of the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. For Chief Minister Vijayan, this by-election serves as a critical test of his waning popularity and public image.
(inputs from IANS)
