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Despite heavy rain, Nilambur witnessed a high voter turnout. The counting of votes will take place on Monday.
Malappuram: Polling for the Nilambur Assembly by-election concluded peacefully on Thursday, recording a notable voter turnout of 70.76% by 5 PM, despite persistent heavy rainfall throughout the day. Though slightly lower than the 76.6% turnout in the previous election, the enthusiasm of voters remained high.
Voting began at 7 AM, with long queues forming early outside several polling booths. Tribal areas witnessed a particularly strong turnout during the afternoon hours, reflecting active participation across diverse communities.
Candidates from the three major alliances cast their votes in their respective constituencies. LDF candidate M Swaraj voted at Mankuth LP School, UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath at Veetikkuth Government LP School, and BJP candidate Mohan George at Chungathara Marthoma Higher Secondary School.
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The polling process remained largely peaceful, with the exception of a minor scuffle reported between LDF and UDF workers at Kurumbalangode. No major disruptions were recorded.
Vote counting is scheduled for Monday, and the results of this closely watched by-election will provide crucial political insight, especially ahead of the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.
UDF confident of win
United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Aryadan Shoukhath expressed confidence in a UDF victory for the constituency, saying that the state government has "totally neglected Nilambur area," with tribals not being rehabilitated and human-animal conflict increasing.
Earlier, Kerala LoP and Congress MLA VD Satheesan also said that a UDF victory would mark the party's return to the state.
"This is a political contest, a direct fight between the UDF and the LDF. It is the semi-final leading up to the 2026 Assembly elections, and we are confident of winning by a significant margin. We see this as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi government accountable, a government that has been in power for the past nine years," Satheesan said.
The bypoll has been necessitated after the resignation of Left Democratic Front independent legislator PV Anvar, who later joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) after his acrimonious break-up with the ruling alliance.
