High-octane Nilambur bypoll campaign draws to a close

Malappuram, Kerala: The high-voltage public campaign for the Nilambur assembly bypoll on June 19 came to an end on Tuesday, with several political parties organising enormous roadshows and rallies to mark its end. Hundreds of political activists flocked to the streets, campaigning for their candidates and expressing solidarity.

Colourful festoons were strung up, cinematic songs were played, and drums were beaten as the high-octane campaign concluded in the evening.

Party workers could be seen dancing, holding balloons, and waving party flags.

The parting of ways between LDF-backed independent MLA P V Anvar and the ruling CPI(M) paved the way for a bypoll in Nilambur, a forest-fringe constituency located in the northern Malappuram district.

With just months remaining for the Pinarayi Vijayan government to complete its consecutive second term in office, the by-election in Nilambur has become a prestigious battle for both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the opposition Congress-headed UDF.

While the Congress picked the former chairman of the Nilambur Municipality, Aryadan Shoukath --the son of the late party veteran Aryadan Mohammed-- the CPI(M) put its weight behind its state secretariat member, M Swaraj.

While both traditional fronts expressed confidence in their victory, the BJP-led NDA decided to try its luck by fielding lawyer-politician Mohan George, who was previously associated with various Kerala Congress factions.

With the surprise entry of Anvar himself -- now the Trinamool Congress state convenor -- into the poll fray, the contest in Nilambur has become a four-cornered fight, further increasing the political heat.

Unlike many other constituencies, issues ranging from the common man's concerns -- such as human-animal conflicts and welfare pensions -- to international topics like the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Congress's alleged association with Jamaat-e-Islami became subjects of intense debate during the bypoll campaign.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who attended multiple poll rallies in Nilambur and campaigned for party candidate Swaraj, accused the Congress leadership of playing communal cards to win the election.

The Congress-led UDF strongly rejected the charges, turning the allegation back at the LDF camp, accusing them of attempting to woo communal votes in the Muslim-dominated constituency.

The opposition also sought to bring back into focus the controversial remarks made by Vijayan in the past in connection with the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district.

The ruling camp, however, attempted to counter the narrative by highlighting the "bribery" remarks made by AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal in connection with the disbursal of welfare pension arrears, made on the sidelines of the upcoming bypoll.

The CPI(M), which accused him of attacking a vital welfare scheme, seized upon the comment made during a speech as part of the ongoing Nilambur bypoll campaign, framing it as an insult to pension beneficiaries.

The support extended by the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed political outfit, the Welfare Party, for the UDF in the election also triggered debates during the campaign.

The Left alleged that the Welfare Party's support for the UDF candidate was part of the communal stance that the Congress-led alliance in the state has been continuing for some time.

However, the LDF justified the support extended by the People's Democratic Party (PDP), led by controversial cleric Abdul Nasar Ma'dani, for the Left candidate in the Nilambur bypoll, stating that it was a party that has suffered "several persecutions" in the state.

Even months before the announcement of the bypoll date, human-animal conflict had been a burning issue in the forest-fringe district, as the constituency witnessed a series of casualties and widespread crop destruction in recent times.

The death of a hapless school student after coming into contact with an illegal wild boar trap in Nilambur, during the bypoll campaign period, triggered a huge political row across the state.

Congress General Secretary and Wayanad MP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, recently used incidents of human-animal conflict and the alleged politicisation of the welfare pension scheme to criticise the LDF government while visiting the constituency to campaign for Shoukath.

With a day left for the crucial bypoll -- widely regarded as a curtain-raiser for the upcoming state election next year -- all major candidates expressed confidence in their victory.

While addressing a press conference in Nilambur, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, V. D. Satheesan, claimed that Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath would win by a margin of no less than 15,000 votes.

However, LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan rejected the claim, stating that the political climate in Nilambur was in favour of their candidate, M Swaraj. The counting will be held on June 23.

With PTI inputs