M Swaraj to Contest Nilambur Bypoll as LDF Candidate

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI M State Secretary M V Govindan on Friday announced that M. Swaraj, CPI M secretariat member and former MLA from Thrippunithura (2016), will contest as the LDF candidate from the Nilambur constituency in the upcoming bypoll. The announcement came following the CPI M State Secretariat meeting.
Addressing the media, M V Govindan strongly criticised former LDF MLA P V Anvar, calling him a “Judas” who betrayed the Left and joined hands with the opposition. "Anvar is now struggling to find a place within the UDF. These developments are being witnessed by the people of Kerala,' he said.

Govindan clarified that the LDF is contesting against the UDF, not against Anvar personally. "This bypoll is a political struggle, not a personal one. Our focus is on continuing the development trajectory of Kerala. This election will be a stepping stone toward securing a third consecutive term for the LDF in the next legislative assembly elections," he added.
P V Anvar, a two -time MLA from Nilambur, recently resigned after making baseless allegations against the Chief Minister and his office staff. Speaking to reporters on Friday, M Swaraj, who is also the Resident Editor of Deshabhimani, said the bypoll will reflect the public’s support for the LDF government and its developmental initiatives in Kerala. "This election is not about individuals but about ideologies. There is no personal vengeance, only a clash of visions. Kerala must move forward, and that journey continues through the Nilambur bypoll," Swaraj stated.
He expressed confidence that the LDF will win the by-election. "We believe the people will once again endorse our model of governance. This bypoll is part of the broader political contest, not against a person but against the opposition's agenda,' he said.
M Swaraj began his political journey in 1988 as a member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) while in the fifth standard. Over the years, he rose through the organisation, serving as the State Secretary and All India Joint Secretary of SFI, and later as State Secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI M. An advocate by profession, Swaraj was born on May 27, 1979, to P N Muraleedharan Nair and P R Sumangi Amma.
Earlier, the Congress announced Aryadan Shoukath, son of the late Congress veteran and former Kerala minister Aryadan Mohammed, as the UDF candidate for Nilambur.