Aryadan Shoukath Files Nomination for Nilambur By-election Amidst PV Anvar’s Standoff
Malappuram: Aryadan Shoukath, the UDF (United Democratic Front) candidate for the Nilambur by-election, submitted his nomination papers today, leading a procession of supporters and accompanied by senior Congress leaders. The by-election in Nilambur is scheduled for June 19.
The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of P.V. Anvar, who had won the seat as an LDF-backed independent candidate in the previous election. Anvar’s resignation came after he had a public fallout with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the state government.
Following his resignation, Anvar sought to align with the UDF, but the front did not fully endorse his demands or political stance. This led Anvar to threaten to contest as a Trinamool Congress candidate. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) naming Aryadan Shoukath as the UDF candidate further widened the rift with Anvar. Despite numerous discussions, Anvar remained firm on his demand for full UDF constituent status.
With the UDF completely rejecting his terms, Anvar has now declared that he will not join the UDF led by V.D. Satheesan and will not contest in Nilambur.
Aryadan Shoukath’s main opponent in the by-election will be M. Swaraj, the LDF candidate. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 23. The last day to submit nominations is Monday, June 2, while the scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 3, and the last day to withdraw nominations is June 5