Thiruvananthapuram | The CPI(M) on Friday named party leader M Swaraj as the LDF's candidate for the upcoming by-election to the Nilambur Assembly seat in Kerala, setting the stage for a high-voltage political contest with the Congress-led UDF-- a crucial battle for both fronts ahead of next year's Assembly polls.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan announced Swaraj's candidature at a press conference here, following the party state secretariat meeting.
Swaraj, a former MLA who represented the Tripunithura Assembly seat in Ernakulam district during the 2016–2021 period, hails from Nilambur in Malappuram district. He lost to the Congress's K Babu in the 2021 elections.
Swaraj is a member of the CPI(M) state secretariat.
Earlier, the Congress had announced the candidature of Aryadan Shoukath, the son of the late Congress veteran and former Kerala minister Aryadan Mohammed, for the seat.
The Nilambur by-election, necessitated by the resignation of P V Anvar as MLA --who won the seat twice with Left support -- is scheduled for June 19.
The BJP-led NDA has not yet announced its candidate for the by-poll.
Anvar resigned after joining the Trinamool Congress, having severed ties with the LDF following disagreements with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on various issues.
Announcing Swaraj's candidature, CPI(M) state secretary Govindan said that the LDF is set to make a significant advance in the Nilambur by-election.
He said that Swaraj was chosen as the party's candidate with the understanding that the Nilambur by-election would be one of the most intense political contests.
Govindan added that Nilambur is a politically significant constituency.
The CPI(M) state secretary also criticised Anvar, calling him a "Judas who betrayed the LDF." Referring to the challenges Anvar is facing in securing entry into the Congress-led alliance, Govindan said that Kerala is now witnessing his pitiful state.
Speaking to reporters, Swaraj noted that Nilambur has historically been a constituency where the Left has won on multiple occasions.
He said that even those who speak beyond party lines believe that the Left is best suited to govern Kerala.
Swaraj expressed confidence that the votes in the upcoming election would reflect public approval of the LDF government in the state.
He added that the election would be an opportunity for secular-minded individuals to ensure the continuation of the Left government.
"The contest is not against individuals, but against anti-Left forces," Swaraj said during the press conference.
Reacting to Swaraj's candidature, Shoukath said that the excitement and intensity of the election truly begin when a rival candidate enters the fray.
"It's only when there is a defender on the field that the forward feels the thrill of scoring a goal," he told reporters in Kottayam.
