Nilambur By-poll: Anvar’s Ego, UDF’s Chaos, BJP’s Irrelevance

The Nilambur by-election, scheduled for June 19, was supposed to be a chance for the people to choose a new representative. But what we got instead was a live demonstration of what happens when political parties forget the people and chase personal egos. In the middle of this chaos stand three main players: Congress (UDF), BJP, and P V Anvar, each more confused than the other. While they’re busy playing musical chairs, only CPI M seems to have entered the field with a clear plan and a candidate who knows exactly why he's there.
Let’s begin with the man who caused this whole mess, P V Anvar. He resigned as MLA under a cloud of accusations against the LDF government, trying to portray himself as a victim who could no longer work under the "oppressive system." Fast forward a few weeks, and the same Anvar is now trying to re-enter politics, not out of love for the people, but because no one gave him the ticket he demanded.
Anvar first approached the UDF, hoping to get his close aide V S Joy as the Nilambur candidate. When Congress shut that option down, he took a U -turn. And now, not only is he contesting the bypoll, but he’s doing so as the Kerala convenor of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), a party with practically no roots in Kerala, but one that Anvar’s wounded pride managed to latch onto.
Let’s be clear: Anvar’s re-entry into this election isn’t about development, ideology, or the people of Nilambur. It’s about revenge. He claims that the people of Nilambur are against Aryadan Shoukath, but all signs point to this being more about a personal grudge than public opinion. Anvar doesn’t want to serve Nilambur, he wants to show Congress what happens when they don’t give him what he wants.
And for someone who recently said he couldn’t contest due to a lack of funds, this sudden comeback raises more questions than answers. Where did the money come from? Who is backing him now? Is this politics, or is it just a personal power game dressed up as democracy?
If Anvar is confused, Congress is even worse. Opposition Leader V D Satheesan had boldly declared that Anvar wouldn’t be welcomed into the UDF, presenting an image of a party finally showing some spine. But within 48 hours, Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil was seen sneaking into Anvar’s house, apparently begging him to come back and even apologising for past remarks.
Anvar claims that it was V D Satheesan himself who sent Rahul to meet him, further complicating the internal mess in Congress. So, who’s really running the show in Congress? One leader shuts the door, and another opens it from the back. When this meeting leaked to the media, Satheesan scrambled to do damage control, claiming that Rahul had no permission. But by then, the damage was done, the cracks in Congress were visible for all to see. The party was exposed as confused, leaderless, and fumbling through its own mess.
P V Anvar is now claiming that V D Satheesan can’t win in Paravoor without Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s secret backing. According to him, Satheesan’s success depends entirely on Pinarayi pulling strings from behind the scenes.
It’s almost laughable at this point. Anvar seems to have lost touch with reality, turning his political grudge into a wild conspiracy theory. First, he quit over “oppression,” and now he’s blaming everyone but himself for his own failures. Maybe next, he’ll start claiming Pinarayi is behind every lost sock in Kerala.
Rahul Mamkoottathil, better known for his Facebook rants than any significant political achievement, had mocked CPI M for allegedly failing to find a candidate. He specifically targeted M Swaraj, suggesting that Swaraj was afraid to contest. But that arrogance backfired when, on May 30, CPI M state secretary M V Govindan calmly announced Swaraj as the official candidate. No shouting. No backroom scheming. Just a party that made a decision, stood by it, and moved forward.
M Swaraj, a Nilambur local, wasted no time on press conferences or drama. He took a train from Thiruvananthapuram, met people at every station, and began his campaign. The crowd response was telling, here was a candidate who was respected, not because of flashy stunts, but because of his work and record. While other parties were still figuring out who was in and who was out, CPI M was already on the ground, listening to the people.
Even renowned writer K R Meera couldn’t resist pointing out the irony, praising Congress not for its leadership, but for at least procuring a solid opponent in the bypoll.
Meanwhile, BJP’s entry into Nilambur looks more like an afterthought than a strategy. Initially, the BJP handed over the seat to its ally BDJS, but BDJS declined, probably sensing the political landmine. Left without options, BJP dug up Mohan George, a UDF man, and declared him their candidate.
Yes, the same Mohan George who was a Kerala Congress(Joseph) state committee member, a lawyer, and a longtime UDF insider. Now, BJP is fielding someone who was, until recently, part of the rival camp. What message does this send? That ideology no longer matters? That the saffron party couldn’t find a single credible face in the entire region? George himself has promised to give a “good fight.” But against whom? His old colleagues? Or his own political past?
BJP’s last-minute scramble and their decision to rely on a borrowed candidate show just how shallow their local presence is. While CPI M fielded a young and dynamic leader with a track record, BJP picked someone from another party and painted him saffron overnight. It’s not just confusing, it’s lazy politics.
It’s clear that BJP isn’t contesting this election to win, but merely placing a candidate under growing pressure from its own members. Given past patterns, it’s almost certain that BJP will form a tacit alliance with Congress, as they have done before.
So now, we have Congress, too busy fighting with itself to fight the real opponent. We have BJP, treating elections like job vacancies that can be filled by anyone with a resume. We have Anvar, whose actions are guided not by vision, but by a wounded ego. And in the middle of all this chaos, CPI M has stayed focused, announcing a strong candidate, launching their campaign, and showing respect for the democratic process.
At a time when party symbols are being traded like cricket jerseys and ideologies are being rewritten to suit personal needs, CPI M has stayed rooted. M Swaraj’s candidacy is not about settling scores. It is about showing that politics can still be about commitment, credibility, and connection with the people.
This by-election is no longer just about filling a vacant seat. It’s about choosing between confusion and clarity, between personal ambition and public service. The people of Nilambur have a serious choice to make. Let’s hope they reward the party that treated them with respect, not as voters to be manipulated, but as citizens who deserve better.