Nilambur Bypoll Drama: A Political Tug-of-War

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is leading the charge in the Nilambur assembly bypoll, as vote counting progresses. By the end of the 15th round, Aryadan Shoukath of the UDF held a significant lead over his opponent, M Swaraj of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), by 10,718 votes. Shoukath, the son of the late Congress figure Aryadan Muhammed, faces off against Swaraj, a core member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Adding a twist to the election dynamics, independent candidate P V Anvar, who is contesting under the Trinamool Congress banner, has shown a formidable standing. Anvar had secured 11,578 votes as of the 11th round, surpassing the BJP's Mohan George, who garnered 4,575 votes. The vote counting, which started promptly at 8 am at Chungathara Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School, began with postal ballots and was quickly followed by the electronic voting machine (EVM) tally at 8:10 am.

The intense contest in Nilambur has attracted widespread attention, as it serves as a crucial performance gauge for the current LDF administration. With the assembly polls looming next year, both the UDF and LDF watch anxiously. The result could boost the UDF, giving them critical momentum moving forward.

(With inputs from agencies.)