Congress Fully Prepared for Nilambur Assembly By-Election: Kerala Opposition Leader
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Synopsis
Kochi, April 10 (NationPress) V. D. Satheesan, Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, announced the Congress-led UDF is fully prepared for the Nilambur Assembly by-election following the resignation of P.V. Anvar. With Anvar's support, Congress aims to reclaim its traditional seat amid speculation on candidate selection and the BJP's strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Congress-led UDF is ready for the Nilambur by-election.
- P.V. Anvar resigned from LDF to join Congress.
- Nilambur is traditionally a Congress seat.
- Political observers are closely watching the BJP's strategy.
- Priyanka Gandhi is expected to campaign in Nilambur.
Kochi, April 10 (NationPress) Following his return from the special session of the AICC meeting in Gujarat, the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V. D. Satheesan, declared on Thursday that the Congress-led UDF is completely ready for the forthcoming Nilambur Assembly by-election.
The Nilambur seat became vacant after P.V. Anvar, an independent MLA with support from the LDF, resigned in January due to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's refusal to investigate alleged illicit activities involving top police official M. R. Ajith Kumar and Vijayan's political secretary P. Sasi.
Once a staunch critic of the UDF, Anvar has now allied himself with the Congress-led front.
He even journeyed to Kolkata, where he met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and was later appointed as the convenor of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
"Nilambur has traditionally been a Congress seat, although it has eluded us for the past two terms. Anvar has clearly signaled his support, and we welcome him warmly," stated Satheesan.
"Concerning our candidate, it is unfortunate that the media is merely speculating, and we are not accountable for that. As with all recent by-elections, once the date is confirmed, the Congress will announce our candidate and win effortlessly," added Satheesan.
In the 2016 Assembly elections, after the retirement of Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed, Anvar triumphed over the former's son, Aryadan Shoukath, by more than 10,000 votes.
In 2021, Anvar secured victory again, this time defeating Congress leader V. V. Prakash by a mere 2,700 votes.
Given the slim margin of victory in the last election (2,700 votes), political analysts will be closely monitoring the BJP's strategy, especially since both the CPI(M) and UDF have accused each other of having an undisclosed agreement with the former.
The Congress is optimistic that its star campaigner will be none other than Wayanad Lok Sabha member Priyanka Gandhi, as the Nilambur Assembly segment is part of the seven Assembly constituencies that make up the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
For Chief Minister Vijayan, this by-election serves as a critical test of his declining image and popularity.
