This by-election is not a mere stopgap — it’s a prestige fight where every vote counts and every front is out to flex their muscles.
Published Jun 04, 2025 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 04, 2025 | 11:00 AM
PV Anvar during his campaigning on 2 June.
Synopsis: Nilambur is all set for another riveting contest, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. For the UDF and LDF, it’s a dress rehearsal to set the tone for the upcoming local body and Assembly elections. For former MLA PV Anvar, it’s a do-or-die moment to prove his political clout and relevance.
Another poll showdown is set to electrify Kerala’s high-stakes political turf. All eyes are on the Nilambur Assembly Constituency as it braces for a fierce by-election battle on 19 June. What was expected to be a routine contest has turned into a four-cornered fight, with every major player chasing more than just a win.
For the UDF and LDF, it’s a dress rehearsal to set the tone for the upcoming local body and Assembly elections. For former MLA PV Anvar, it’s a do-or-die moment to prove his political clout and relevance. The BJP, meanwhile, sees a golden opportunity to stretch its influence in Malappuram’s backyard and test its strength ahead of bigger battles.
This by-election is not a mere stopgap — it’s a prestige fight where every vote counts and every front is out to flex their muscles. Nilambur is all set for another riveting contest, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
For decades, the constituency had been a fortress for the Congress within the UDF camp — electing its candidate ten times, six of those consecutively for the legendary Aryadan Mohammed. Aryadan Mohammad holds the record for representing the Nilambur constituency the most.
Aryadan Shoukath submitting his nomination on 31 May.
But in 2016, the unthinkable happened. PV Anvar, contesting as a Left-backed independent, stunned the UDF by defeating Aryadan’s son Aryadan Shoukath by a whopping 11,504 votes. He cemented his hold again in 2021, edging out UDF’s VV Prakash by 2,700 votes.
Fast forward to January 2025, when Anvar’s resignation as MLA triggered a by-poll, and political equations began to unravel. At first, it looked like the UDF’s job was cut out.
Anvar, now a fierce critic of the Left and its brand of ‘Pinarayism’, was expected to split the LDF vote.
At first, Anvar hinted that he’d back UDF — provided the candidate was District Congress Committee President VS Joy. He even went as far as predicting a 30,000-vote margin victory if Joy were fielded, while indirectly sniping at his old rival, Aryadan Shoukath.
Shoukath, who is also known for his movies like ‘Paadam Onnu Oru Vilapam‘ and ‘Varthamanam‘, is currently a general secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.
Backroom negotiations followed. Anvar sought to formally align with UDF. However, his ambitions ran into a wall of resistance — with murmurs that Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan was the principal opponent to Anvar’s entry.
To Anvar’s dismay, Congress stuck to its guns and nominated Aryadan Shoukath, reigniting one of Kerala politics’ bitterest rivalries. The UDF camp itself was divided.
While sections of the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) believed Anvar’s support could tilt the scales, others cautioned against surrendering to his arm-twisting politics, dismissing his claims of a solid support base as self-inflated bravado.
As expected, the gloves came off.
Anvar publicly accused Satheesan of autocratic leadership, while senior Congress leader VT Balram hit back, labelling Anvar as a master of “blackmail politics”.
“Throughout his career, he’s thrived on arm-twisting parties, leaders, and officials for personal gain,” Balram charged in a blistering social media post.
At the same time, Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala declared that the upcoming Nilambur election is not a personal contest.
“This election must be viewed politically, not personally. It’s a direct fight between the UDF and LDF — and the people of Nilambur will make the right choice. There will be no backroom talks, no personal remarks. Our only conversation is with the people,” Chennithala asserted.
For the Congress, which hoped for a clean, focused fight against the LDF, the by-poll has turned into a multi-front battle — taking on not just the ruling front, but a maverick Anvar too.
For the CPI(M), picking a candidate for Nilambur was no routine affair. With Anvar — once a Left ally, now a fierce opponent — vowing to defeat the LDF front that twice backed his victories, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
It’s not just an election, but a battle of prestige and political reckoning.
After much deliberation and weighing multiple names, including some independents and consensus candidates, the party settled on M Swaraj — state secretariat member and Desabhimani Resident Editor.
M Swaraj submitting his nomination on 2 June.
Though initial reports suggested Swaraj was hesitant, on 30 May the CPI(M) put speculation to rest, officially announcing him as its Nilambur by-election candidate.
“This will be a political fight,” declared CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan after the party secretariat meeting, signalling the start of a combative campaign.
Swaraj, a 46-year-old former Tripunithura MLA, who famously unseated Congress heavyweight K Babu in 2016 only to lose to him in 2021, is now tasked with reclaiming Nilambur for the Left.
Launching the LDF’s campaign at a convention in Nilambur on 1 June, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the by-poll as the consequence of a betrayal — without naming Anvar.
Drawing from local history, he likened the situation to the betrayal faced by Malabar rebellion hero Variankunnath Kunhahamed Haji, invoking Nilambur’s legacy of rebellion and resistance.
“The by-election will mark the beginning of LDF’s third term in 2026,” said Swaraj, striking a confident note. “Nilambur has always stood with progressive politics.”
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with M Swaraj during a rally in Nilambur.
Govindan said Swaraj’s grassroots roots and the party’s organisational strength, coupled with divisions in the Opposition, would give the LDF an edge in the high-stakes contest.
Taking a sharp dig at the UDF over the Anvar issue, Govindan said the UDF remains in turmoil, unable to decisively deal with Anvar, despite his relentless attacks against the front and its candidate.
“The conflict within the UDF is far from over. Even after finalising their nomination list under a special category, the Congress leadership is still unable to reject Anvar outright,” Govindan remarked.
He called it a clear sign of the UDF’s steady decline in Kerala politics.
“The Congress leadership continues to engage in backdoor talks with a man who’s openly targeting them. It’s a pathetic situation. There’s a visible rupture within both the UDF and Congress over Anvar, and it’s spilling over into open conflict with their key ally, the Muslim League,” Govindan added.
As the campaign picks up steam, Nilambur is gearing up for more than just a by-poll — it’s set to deliver a political message to both Anvar and the UDF.
For Anvar, the Nilambur by-election is no ordinary contest — it’s a litmus test for his political relevance, a battle to assert his existence in a rapidly shifting landscape.
Once a staunch attacking defender of the CPI(M), then a vocal critic of the Congress, Anvar now finds himself squaring off against two formidable nemeses in this high-stakes by-poll.
And in typical Anvar style, his entry into the fray was nothing short of dramatic. On 31 May, he publicly declared he wouldn’t contest. A day later, on 1 June, he made an about-turn and announced his candidacy.
The drama didn’t stop there. On 2 June, Anvar filed two sets of nominations — one as a candidate of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and another as an independent.
PV Anvar submitting his nomination on 2 June.
However, the Election Commission on 3 June struck down his TMC nomination, citing that the TMC is a state party confined to West Bengal and cannot field candidates in Kerala.
His independent nomination, however, was cleared, setting the stage for an intense showdown in Nilambur.
Unfazed, Anvar declared that his fight is against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government and insisted that the people of Nilambur stand firmly behind him.
“The public is waiting to vote, and the symbol under which I contest doesn’t matter,” he claimed.
Adding another twist, Anvar on 2 June also announced the formation of a new political platform — Jankeeya Prathipaksha Prathirodha Munnani — positioning it as a third alternative to Kerala’s traditional UDF-LDF bipolar politics.
According to Anvar, this front, with informal backing from the TMC, will bring together smaller political outfits and local organisations.
But for Anvar, the road ahead is steep. The two-time MLA must now prove that he isn’t just a paper tiger, and that his strident attacks against the LDF government are rooted in public sentiment rather than political theatrics.
With the 2026 Assembly elections on the horizon, this by-poll is crucial for Anvar to gauge his standing and reclaim lost ground after his fallout with both the Left and the Congress-led fronts. For now, Nilambur is not just a constituency for Anvar — it’s a battleground to defend his political identity.
Advocate Mohan George submitting his nomination on 2 June.
When it comes to Nilambur, the BJP’s influence has traditionally been negligible. Yet, this by-election has presented the party with a valuable opportunity to test its strength on the ground ahead of the crucial local body polls and the next Assembly election.
Interestingly, the BJP wasn’t always certain about stepping into the fray. The state unit was initially divided — one camp argued for contesting to mark their presence, while the other saw little strategic sense in it.
At one point, there were even murmurs that the BJP might pass the baton to Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), its ally within the NDA fold.
However, mounting criticism over the party’s indecisiveness — especially for a party that often claims it wants to expand its footprint in Kerala at every possible juncture — pushed the leadership to act.
On 1 June, the BJP finally announced its candidate: Advocate Mohan George, a former Malappuram district president of Kerala Congress (Joseph). The choice was calculated.
By fielding a candidate from the Christian community, which accounts for around 12 percent of voters in Nilambur, the BJP is hoping to make inroads, particularly in the wake of issues like the human-wildlife conflict and the Munambam Waqf land controversy, both of which have unsettled sections of the Christian electorate.
In the previous election, BJP candidate TK Ashok Kumar secured 8,595 votes, translating to a 1.9 percent vote share. This time, the party hopes for a better showing — obviously not a win, but at least a statement.
The by-election scheduled for 19 June will see 2,32,384 voters exercising their franchise. The voters’ list includes 1,18,889 women, 1,13,486 men, and nine third-gender voters, along with 374 overseas electors. A total of 263 polling stations will be set up across the constituency, including 59 new ones. The counting of votes is on 23 June.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
