NewKerala.com

Key Points

The Nilambur Assembly by-election concluded with 73.25% voter turnout, slightly lower than previous polls. Key candidates including Congress' Aryadan Shoukath and independent P.V. Anvar made bold victory predictions while BJP hopes for improved performance. Counting will begin Monday morning with results expected within hours. The by-election was necessitated after Anvar resigned following differences with CM Pinarayi Vijayan.

Key Points: Nilambur by-election sees 73.25% voter turnout amid tight contest

  • 73.25% turnout marks dip from 2024 Assembly polls
  • Congress' Aryadan Shoukath eyes record 21,620-vote margin
  • Ex-CPI-M legislator Swaraj predicts decisive win
  • BJP hopes to improve 2021 tally of 8,595 votes
2 min read

Kerala: 73.25 per cent voter turnout in Nilambur by-election

Kerala's Nilambur by-election records 73.25% polling as Congress, CPI-M, and independents make bold victory claims ahead of June 24 counting.

"I am going to win with a margin of 30,000 votes - P.V. Anvar, Independent candidate"

Nilambur, June 19

At the close of polling for the Nilambur Assembly by-election on Thursday, the turnout was 73.22 per cent -- down from 76.31 per cent recorded during the 2024 Assembly polls.

Counting of votes will be taken up at 8 a.m on Monday and in around two hours, the clear trends will emerge, an official said.

There are 2,32,381 votes in the constituency, which includes 1,13,613 males, 1,18,760 females, and eight transgender voters and 10 candidates was in the fray.

No sooner did the voting got over at 6 p.m, three of the candidates have claimed that they would be winning.

Aryadan Shoukath of the Congress has predicted that he will win with a record victory margin and if his prediction turns out to be true than he will have to win with a margin of over 21,620 votes which his father won in 2001, which presently is the biggest victory margin at Nilambur starting from 1965.

Likewise M. Swaraj , a former CPI-M legislator said he will win with a impressive margin and not to be left behind was P.V.Anvar , the man responsible for this by-election.

Anvar who won as a Left independent candidate , first in 2016 and then repeated it again in 2021, but quit in January after differences of opinion surfaced with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

“I am going to win with a margin of 30,000 votes,” said Anvar.

Mohan George of the BJP who took the party membership after his candidature was announced was the realistic among the frontline candidates when he said "the BJP will do very well".

At the 2021 polls, the BJP candidate was able to manage just 8,595 votes only.

Despite the rains on Thursday morning, voters were queuing up in front of the 263 polling booths in Nilambur constituency.

With more than 50 additional polling booths up from 2021, at most places the voting got over at the designated time of 6 p.m.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
The slight dip in voter turnout is concerning. Every vote counts in a democracy like ours. Hope people realize the importance of participating in elections, especially in Kerala where political awareness is generally high. Let's see if the predictions of these candidates hold true! 🤞
P
Priya M.
Interesting to see BJP's confidence despite their poor performance last time. Kerala politics is changing, but will it change enough for BJP to make significant gains? The next 48 hours will tell! Also appreciate the inclusion of transgender voters - progressive Kerala showing the way again.
S
Suresh V.
All these candidates claiming victory before counting shows overconfidence. In Kerala, political fortunes can change very quickly. Remember 2021 when many predictions went wrong? Better to wait for actual results rather than making tall claims.
A
Anitha R.
The father-son legacy angle with Aryadan Shoukath is typical Kerala politics. But will voters go for legacy or performance? Also, the rain didn't deter voters - shows Malayalis' commitment to democracy. Proud moment for our state!
V
Vijay P.
The real story here is P.V. Anvar - an independent who won twice and then quit due to differences with CM Vijayan. This shows even strong independents struggle against party machinery in Kerala. Hope the counting is fair and peaceful.
M
Meena T.
While 73% is decent, we should aim for 80%+ turnout in all elections. The additional polling booths helped complete voting on time - good election management. Now EC must ensure counting happens smoothly without any controversies.

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