Can Congress Consolidate Its Lead in Nilambur Assembly Bypolls?

Nilambur, June 23 (NationPress) The candidate from the Congress party, Aryadan Shoukath, has maintained a commanding lead as the vote counting progresses for the Nilambur Assembly seat in Kerala on Monday.

According to the most recent data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), Shoukath has received 35,831 votes, leading by 5,448 votes over his closest competitor, M. Swaraj from the CPI(M).

Shoukath has consistently kept his lead from the onset of the counting process.

Celebrations have erupted within the Congress camp, with jubilant slogans ringing out from the party office, where local leaders have been monitoring the developments on television.

The counting involves a total of 19 rounds in this constituency, where approximately 75.25 percent of the 2.31 lakh votes were cast on June 19.

A notable point of interest in this by-election is the performance of two-time former Left Independent legislator P.V. Anvar, who is currently trailing significantly with just 11,578 votes, despite winning the seat previously.

In the 2021 elections, Anvar retained his seat as a Left-supported Independent candidate, garnering 2,800 votes. However, he resigned as a legislator in January following a disagreement with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Although he initially expressed support for the Congress, he ultimately decided to run as an Independent after a falling out with the Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan.

The State Congress president Sunny Joseph shared his enthusiasm, stating that the party is poised to reclaim Nilambur and emphasized that Anvar has not been shut out.

In statements to the media, Anvar remarked, "Despite all predictions, I have received more support from the Left."

“This reflects a clear voter sentiment against Pinarayi Vijayan, which I have been highlighting since the beginning. I have already achieved 10,000 votes, despite expectations of merely 5,000," Anvar declared.

The hopes for Swaraj's comeback have now been significantly diminished.

Moreover, the BJP candidate Mohan George has only managed to secure 4,575 votes thus far.

From the outset of counting, there has been a consistent difference of around nine percent in the vote percentages between Shoukath and Swaraj; if this trend continues, Shoukath is likely to secure victory.

“This serves as a strong indicator of anti-incumbency sentiments towards the Vijayan government, a point we have consistently emphasized,” Joseph commented.

Meanwhile, Shoukath’s mother expressed confidence in her son's anticipated victory. Nilambur has historically been a stronghold for the Congress, where Shoukath’s father, Aryadan Mohammed, won a remarkable eight times, losing only three elections from 1965 until his last victory in 2011.