Aryadan Shoukath Wins Nilambur Bypoll; LDF Retains Strong Base

Malappuram (Kerala): United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Aryadan Shoukath has won the Nilambur Assembly bypoll with a margin of 11,077 votes. Shoukath secured 77,737 votes, while LDF candidate M. Swaraj came in second with 66,660 votes. Former MLA P.V. Anvar received 19,760 votes, and NDA’s Mohan George polled 8,648 votes.
The Nilambur seat became vacant following the resignation of P.V. Anvar, who had earlier won with LDF support. This time, he contested as an independent. Despite the altered electoral dynamics, the LDF retained a strong and consistent vote share, reinforcing its organisational presence in the region. M. Swaraj, a member of the CPI(M) state secretariat and former legislator, led a campaign focused on public issues and local development.
The bypoll, held on June 19, recorded a voter turnout of 75.27 percent — an increase of more than 1,200 votes compared to the 2021 Assembly election — reflecting active public engagement across the constituency. Counting was conducted at Chungathara Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School, beginning at 8 a.m. with postal ballots, followed by the Electronic Voting Machines. The initial rounds remained closely contested before the UDF gained a consistent lead.
This marks the first UDF win in Nilambur since 2016.