Malappuram: In a fiercely fought byelection, the Opposition Congress-led UDF on Monday wrested the Nilambur Assembly constituency from the LDF by a margin of 11,077 votes, delivering a severe blow to the ruling dispensation ahead of the state election next year.
Congress’ Aryadan Shoukath defeated CPI(M) state secretariat member M Swaraj by a convincing margin in the Nilambur constituency, following weeks-long spirited campaign and heated exchanges between the rivals.
It is the fourth byelection setback for the Marxist party-led Left Front during the ongoing tenure of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government. The LDF earlier lost in Puthuppally, Palakkad and Thrikkakara Assembly segments.
The ruling CPI(M) said it accepted the people’s ruling.
Significantly, it is the first time the LDF has lost a sitting seat to its political rivals.
The Nilambur seat fell vacant after LDF-backed independent and two-time MLA P V Anvar resigned, setting off a heated political contest in the forest-fringe constituency.
The byelection drew widespread attention as it was seen as a semi-final for the Pinarayi Vijayan government, which is now in its fourth year in office.
For the Congress-led UDF, a win here provided a much-needed boost ahead of the Assembly polls next year.
Of the total 1,75,989 votes polled in the June 19 byelection, Shoukath, son of the late Congress stalwart Aryadan Mohammed, garnered 77,737 votes. He secured 44.17 per cent of the total votes polled, according to the Election Commission.