The Welfare Party, which had earlier indicated its intent to contest independently, has now officially declared its support for the UDF.
Published Jun 11, 2025 | 9:22 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 11, 2025 | 9:22 AM
As the election draws closer, several smaller parties have begun aligning themselves with the major coalitions, UDF and LDF.
Synopsis: The Welfare Party, the Hindu Mahasabha, and the People’s Democratic Party have each pledged their support to one of Kerala’s two dominant political alliances ahead of the high-stakes Nilambur by-election, with these unexpected alignments igniting a fierce war of words.
The by-poll for Kerala’s Nilambur assembly constituency may only be filling a single seat left vacant by the resignation of PV Anvar, less than a year before the 2026 general elections, yet it is shaping up to be a high-stakes contest between the two leading political coalitions in the state – the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
With the election less than two weeks away, several smaller parties have begun aligning themselves with the two coalitions, the latest endorsements coming from outfits largely on the fringe of Kerala’s vibrant political spectrum – namely the Welfare Party of India, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Hindu Mahasabha.
The Welfare Party, which had earlier indicated its intent to contest independently, has now officially declared its support for the UDF.
The announcement was made by the party’s state president Rasaq Paleri, who described the by-election as a critical moment to reflect public dissatisfaction with the current state administration.
Paleri did not mince words in his criticism of the LDF government. He accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of turning a blind eye to the alleged growing influence of Sangh Parivar elements within the state police.
The poll is shaping up as a direct contest between the LDF and UDF, according to Paleri, and only a UDF victory can address the concerns raised by PV Anvar.
Paleri stressed that their endorsement is purely political and made without any preconditions. He added that the Welfare Party would actively campaign, both independently and alongside UDF leaders.
Though the Welfare Party had previously claimed to have a strong voter base in Nilambur and was preparing to field a candidate, the shift in stance to support the UDF is seen as a strategic move. The decision has reportedly boosted morale in the UDF camp, particularly with hopes of drawing support from segments of the Muslim community.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan criticised the WPI’s endorsement of the UDF, calling the party a political arm of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami.
Speaking in Malappuram on Tuesday, 10 June, he claimed that the WPI’s unconditional support for the UDF was a sign of the Opposition’s desperation, alleging that both majority and minority communal groups were uniting against the LDF in Nilambur.
Govindan described the UDF’s alliance as a “Jamaat-e-Islami–Congress–BJP rainbow coalition,” with the IUML relegated to a secondary role.
He argued that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jamaat-e-Islami share a dangerous, mutually reinforcing dynamic rooted in divisive and communal ideologies and suggested that the UDF’s reliance on both groups signals a troubling political trend.
Similarly, former Rajya Sabha MP and senior CPI leader Elamaram Kareem openly accused Jamaat-e-Islami of fostering ideologies that have historically contributed to terrorism.
Adding to the backlash, the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham, a prominent youth group in north Kerala, criticised the alliance, deeming it absurd, especially in light of UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath’s past comparison of Jamaat-e-Islami to ISIS.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan fired back labelling MV Govindan’s criticism as hypocritical.
Satheesan pointed out that the CPI(M) had earlier accepted Jamaat-e-Islami’s support during the 2009 general elections and the 2011 state assembly elections.
He also reminded that it was the LDF government in 1998 that handed over PDP chairman Abdul Nassar Madani to Tamil Nadu police after the Coimbatore bomb blasts, despite later embracing his political backing.
Satheesan accused the CPI(M) of being ideologically inconsistent and politically opportunistic, stating, “The CPI(M) morphs its stand to suit convenience; what matters is who supports them, not what they stand for.”
He further argued that the WPI’s decision to support the UDF was made independently, highlighting that Jamaat-e-Islami had shifted its political stance in 2019, recognising the Congress as the only real defender of secularism at the national level.
Even as Govindan took aim at the WPI’s support of the UDF, the LDF itself has the Akhila Bharat Hindu Mahasabha’s support.
Despite the NDA fielding Mohan George as its candidate in the constituency, the backing of an extreme right-wing Hindu outfit for the LDF has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum.
At a press meet held in Nilambur, the Hindu Mahasabha’s Kerala state president, Swami Dhathatreya Sai Swaroopananda Nath, announced their support for LDF candidate M Swaraj.
He stated that a victory for the LDF was “crucial in the present times” and praised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government for its ongoing developmental efforts in the state.
The Malappuram unit of the Hindu Mahasabha, led by Prakash, also pledged active campaign support for M Swaraj, further solidifying the group’s unusual alignment with the Left.
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed its support for the LDF in the upcoming Nilambur by-election.
Party vice chairman Adv Muttam Nasar confirmed the decision, which was taken at a recent central committee meeting.
Nasar stated that the PDP has always stood ideologically closer to the LDF, which has consistently maintained a strong stance against communal fascism and imperialist forces – both of which he described as major threats to the nation.
He added that it is this principled position that has helped Kerala resist communal polarisation.
The PDP will actively participate in the election campaign alongside the LDF to ensure the success of its candidate, M Swaraj.
When questioned about the CPI(M)’s ties with the PDP, led by 2008 blast accused Abdul Nassar Madani, Govindan defended the PDP, stating that it upholds constitutional values and does not seek a theocratic state, unlike the RSS or Jamaat-e-Islami.
He added that the PDP is committed to secularism and has long been a target of political vendetta.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
