Vote splitters set to play spoilsport as LDF, UDF clash in Nilambur byelection

Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi with BJP candidate Mohan George during a rally for the Nilambur Assembly constituency byelections on Thursday.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) are locked in a keen fight to wrest the Nilambur Assembly seat in the byelection to be held on June 19.

The contest between UDF’s Aryadan Shoukath and LDF’s M. Swaraj has garnered special attention due to the presence of three other key players: All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) State convener P.V. Anvar, who is contesting as and Independent; BJP’s Mohan George; and Social Democratic Party of India’s (SDPI) Sadik Naduthodi. These candidates can potentially siphon off crucial votes, impacting the outcome in a closely contested election.

When the deadline for the nomination withdrawal passed at 3 p.m. on Thursday, there remained 10 candidates in the fray, putting rest to speculations over Mr. Anvar’s move. Speculations had surrounded his potential withdrawal from the race, given his tendency to make unpredictable decisions.

Mr. Anvar’s nomination as the TMC candidate was earlier rejected by the Election Commission due to technical issues related to the party’s registration in Kerala. However, his nomination as an Independent candidate was accepted. The Election Commission has allotted Mr. Anvar scissors as his ballot symbol. His attempts to get the symbol autorickshaw failed as it was already allotted to the Kerala Congress led by P.J. Joseph.

Despite claims by Mr. Anvar, the BJP and SDPI candidates about potentially making inroads into traditional vote banks in Nilambur, Mr. Shoukath and Mr. Swaraj maintain that the contest is fundamentally a political battle between the UDF and LDF. “It is a head-to-head battle between the two alliances,” they said.

Despite trying to downplay Mr. Anvar and the BJP and SDPI candidates, both the UDF and LDF secretly harbour concerns about the potential impact they could have in the election, given the fierce nature of the ongoing campaign.

The UDF and LDF are treading carefully, with their candidates and leaders taking pains to avoid antagonising any group or community. With candidates like Mr. Anvar, Mr. George, and Mr. Naduthodi in the fray, the UDF and LDF are aware that any misstep could have unintended consequences, potentially playing into the hands of their opponents.