'BJP fielded candidate only due to external pressure': CPIM leader Elamaram Kareem on Nilambur bypoll

"Anvar contesting as a TMC candidate will not impact the LDF's chances,” Elamaram Kareem said, adding that people are upset Anvar abandoned the people who supported his victory.

Malappuram: Senior CPIM leader Elamaram Kareem stated that the Nilambur election is essentially a battle between the LDF and the UDF. “The BJP has fielded a candidate only due to external pressure. Anvar contesting as a TMC candidate will not impact the LDF's chances,” he said, adding that Anvar’s current position is likely to work in the LDF’s favor.

Kareem dismissed Anvar's claim that LDF candidate M Swaraj was absent during the Kavalampara tragedy. “Anvar himself had earlier praised Swaraj’s efforts at the time. People are upset that Anvar abandoned the movement and the very people who supported his victory,” he remarked. Refuting Anvar's allegation that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader VD Satheesan are linked, Kareem said, “The Chief Minister has no connection with Satheesan and often criticizes his positions. Who would believe such a baseless claim?”

Kareem also commented on Rahul Mamkootathil’s meeting with Anvar, saying, “Rahul met Anvar thinking he would give in when cornered. But when Anvar stood firm, Congress attempted a last-ditch compromise. Rahul didn’t go there on his own—he was representing the party. Now that the effort has failed, they are making him the scapegoat. If it had succeeded, would the Congress have distanced itself from him? It is the Congress, not Rahul alone, that has ended up being ridiculed."

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that Mohan George was an excellent candidate for the party, and that he was not chosen with the expectation of church support. “The BJP is contesting the election with a focus on development. This is an election imposed on the people. Both UDF and LDF have fielded candidates who do not speak about development. Therefore, BJP has taken this as a challenge. The voters will decide whether BJP's position will improve in Nilambur,” he added.