A woman giving food in a steel plate to UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath during his roadshow in Nilambur on Monday.
| Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN
Campaign for the June 19 Assembly byelection in Nilambur reached a crescendo on Monday with key contestants, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF), pulling out all the stops to secure victory for their candidates. The electioneering will peak to a noisy finale on Tuesday evening, 48 hours ahead of the polling.
CPI(M) State secretariat member M. Swaraj is the LDF candidate. Congress general secretary Aryadan Shoukath is his key opponent. BJP has former Kerala Congress leader Mohan George in the fray. All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) State convener P.V. Anvar too is contesting as an Independent. It was Mr. Anvar’s resignation as LDF’s Independent MLA in January this year which necessitated the byelection in Nilambur.
Mr. Shoukath’s electioneering finale will take place at Hospital Junction, Nilambur. Mr. Swaraj’s campaign will conclude with a fanfare at Chettiyangadi Junction, Nilambur.
CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby felicitating LDF candidate M. Swaraj in Nilambur on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
SAKEER HUSSAIN
On Monday, major contestants took their campaigns to the streets organising rallies and roadshows across different locations and connecting with voters with unprecedented enthusiasm.
Hundreds of youngsters on motorbikes took part in a road roadshow held for Mr. Swaraj. A.A. Rahim, MP, flagged off the roadshow at Vazhikkadavu. Mr. Swaraj joined the show for a brief stretch. DYFI State secretary V.K. Sanoj, president V. Vaseef, district secretary K. Syamprasad, president P. Shabeer, Jake C. Thomas, P. Sarin, Chintha Jerome, M. Vijin, MLA, Mohammed Muhsin, MLA, and Linto Joseph, MLA, led the roadshow.
Independent candidate P.V. Anvar waving to a group of women labourers during his roadshow in Nilambur on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
SAKEER HUSSAIN
Dozens of bikers joined the roadshow taken out by Mr. Anvar in the evening.
Both the BJP and LDF held anti-communalist meetings targetting each other as well as the UDF for accosting communal elements. Inaugurating a BJP meeting, former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan criticised both the fronts for allying with forces that question India’s integrity and nationalism.
BJP candidate Mohan George during a roadshow in Nilambur on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
SAKEER HUSSAIN
Mr. Muraleedharan accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of spreading misinformation on international issues for communal polarisation. BJP leaders Major Ravi, P.K. Krishna Das, Kummanam Rajasekharan and M.T. Ramesh also spoke.
Farm labourers conducted a door-to-door campaign for Mr. Shoukath on Monday. They highlighted the government’s alleged efforts to dismantle the welfare fund for farm labourers and the struggles faced by those denied pension benefits. KPCC general secretary Sony Sebastian inaugurated the campaign spearheaded by the National Federation of Farm Labourers.
Indian Union Muslim League State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal (right) chatting with Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal and IUML general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty during a rally in Nilambur on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
SAKEER HUSSAIN
CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby inaugurated the LDF’s anti-communal meeting on Monday evening.
Top UDF leaders, including Indian Union Muslim League State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, and AICC working committee member Ramesh Chennithala, joined Mr. Shoukath’s campaign on Monday.
Mr. Thangal criticised the Chief Minister for remaining aloof from the people. “Oommen Chandy showed us how a Chief Minister can be close to the people. Only UDF can bring back that connect,” he said.
Published – June 16, 2025 09:14 pm IST
