Candidates make all out bid to grab the last vote in Nilambur bypoll

Nilambur: With just a day left for public campaigning, all four candidates in the fray are making an all-out final push to grab the last possible vote in the Nilambur assembly by-election polling scheduled for June 19.

The contest has reached a feverish pitch as the main battle unfolds between Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath and CPI(M)’s former legislator M. Swaraj. However, the outcome could well hinge on the votes secured by two candidates who could play spoilsport to the chief contestants: P.V. Anvar — the two-time Independent legislator who vacated the seat in January following a fallout with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan — and BJP candidate Mohan George. It is Anvar's resignation that necessitated the bypoll.

As is typical in such electoral battles, every major player is confidently claiming victory. Despite the BJP securing only 8,595 votes in the constituency in 2021, state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has declared that George is on course to win this time.

Meanwhile, Anvar has attracted star power with former Indian cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan campaigning for him. “I’m here for Anvar’s campaign now, and I’ll be back for his victory celebration — he’s going to be the man of the match in Nilambur,” Pathan said during a whirlwind tour of the constituency.

However, the largest crowds gathered for Wayanad MP and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, whose rallies were packed despite heavy rain. Nilambur falls under the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency and Priyanka Gandhi secured a massive lead of 65,132 votes from this assembly segment alone in the November by-election.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also drawn impressive crowds, using every platform to target both Congress and Anvar.

Both CPI(M) and Congress have deployed their top leaders in Nilambur, assigning specific responsibilities to key campaigners. One of the most active among them has been first-time MLA Chandy Oommen, son of the late former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. He has reportedly visited over 2,300 homes in the Edakkara panchayat, which has a significant Christian population.

Looking back at previous results, Anvar defeated Shoukath by a margin of 11,504 votes in 2016. However, in 2021, his winning margin shrank to just 2,800 against Congress candidate V.V. Prakash, who tragically passed away on the eve of counting day.

Now contesting without the Left’s backing, Anvar’s performance is crucial. If he manages to draw more votes from CPI(M)’s base, Shoukath could gain an advantage. But if Anvar’s support cuts into the Congress vote, it may play out to the advantage of Swaraj to emerge victorious when the results are declared on June 23.

With IANS inputs