In a severe blow to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala, the opposition UDF on Monday surged ahead in the Nilambur Assembly by-election and was on the verge of victory as counting neared completion.
By the end of the final round of counting, Election Commission figures showed Aryadan Shoukath, the Congress-led UDF candidate, had taken a lead of 11,077 votes over M Swaraj of the ruling CPI(M).
Shoukath is the son of the late Congress stalwart Aryadan Muhammed, while Swaraj is a state secretariat member of the CPI(M).
The Left candidate congratulated Shoukath.
Swaraj said the LDF would closely examine the results but rejected suggestions of anti-incumbency against the Left government.
Shoukath said the outcome was expected.
"It was a victory anticipated by the people of Kerala -- a major win against the LDF government," he said.
Independent candidate and two-time legislator P V Anvar delivered a strong performance in the Nilambur by-election, surprising both the UDF and the LDF.
As of the 18th round of counting, Anvar, the state convenor of the Trinamool Congress contesting as an independent, had secured 18,823 votes-- well ahead of BJP candidate Mohan George, who polled 8,241 votes.
The counting process began at 8 a m sharp at Chungathara Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School, after election officials opened the strong room storing the voting machines.
The UDF camp erupted in joy in Nilambur and parts of Kerala as Shoukath established an unassailable lead over Swaraj.
A rejoiced Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, who led the by-election campaign from the front, said the UDF would capture power in 2026.
"When there are dedicated workers and leaders who love the front wholeheartedly, the UDF will win over the hearts of the people. This is the UDF --a United Democratic Front that functions like a single party. In 2026, the UDF will return like a storm," Satheesan said in a Facebook post.
At the start of counting, postal ballots were taken up, followed by the counting of votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The Nilambur seat fell vacant following the resignation of Anvar, triggering a fierce political battle in the forest-fringe constituency.
The by-election has drawn widespread attention and is seen as a mid-term test for the LDF government, now in its fourth year in office.
For the Congress-led UDF, a win here would provide a much-needed boost ahead of the Assembly polls next year.
