<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala wrested the Nilambur assembly seat in Malappuram district with Aryadan Shoukath winning with a majority of 11,077 votes, casting shadow over the hopes of the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan-led left-front to script success for the third consecutive time in the 2026 assembly polls.</p><p>Anti-incumbency against the Pinarayi government was evident as there was nine percent fall in the vote share of CPM-Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate M Swaraj, who secured 66,660 votes (37.88 percent) against the 77,737 votes (44.17 percent) secured by Shoukath. UDF's vote share increased by 2.73 percent compared to the 2021 election.</p><p>The 19,760 votes (11.23 percent) secured by former left-front MLA P V Anvar, who resigned owing to differences with Pinarayi and joined the TMC, is also considered as anti-incumbency votes. Anvar had won Nilambur in 2016 and 2021 with a margin of 11,504 and 2,700 votes respectively as LDF-independent candidate.</p>.Gujarat bypolls: AAP's Gopal Italia wins from Visavadar.<p>The Nilambur by-poll, which was widely considered as the semi-finals of the 2026 assembly polls, even drew national attention as the constituency is part of Wayanad Lok Sabha seat represented by AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. She had also come down for the campaign.</p><p>Fifty-nine year old Shoukath has more reasons to cheer over winning Nilambur seat as the seat was held by his father late Congress leader Aryadan Muhammed for around 30 years in a row until he kept off from electoral politics in 2016 due to ill health. Though Shoukath, who is a former municipal chairperson of Nilambur and a filmmaker, contested in 2016 to succeed his father he was defeated by Anvar by 11,504 votes. Lack of support from Muslim outfits was then considered as a reason as both father and son were known progressive leaders. But this time most Muslim outfits too supported Shoukath.</p><p>The LDF is suffering a major embarrassment as it lost its sitting seat despite fielding party state secretariat member Swaraj, who was learnt to be handpicked by Pinarayi himself. The election outcome could affect the LDF's campaign that team Pinarayi will make a hattrick victory in the 2026 assembly polls.</p><p>Congress leaders termed the election outcome as a reflection of resentment of people across the state against the Pinarayi government. While veteran Congress leader A K Antony commented that Pinarayi government can now continue only as a caretaker government till the next elections, Opposition leader V D Satheesan gave the credits to the combined effort of UDF leaders for the victory. </p><p>CPM camps tried to wriggle out of the embarrassment with party state secretary M V Govindan stating that UDF got the support of communal forces and there was only a marginal increase in UDF's vote share. He also rejected the criticisms that his statement on the eve of the by-poll regarding CPM-RSS alliance during the time of emergency also became a reason for the defeat.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala wrested the Nilambur assembly seat in Malappuram district with Aryadan Shoukath winning with a majority of 11,077 votes, casting shadow over the hopes of the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan-led left-front to script success for the third consecutive time in the 2026 assembly polls.</p><p>Anti-incumbency against the Pinarayi government was evident as there was nine percent fall in the vote share of CPM-Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate M Swaraj, who secured 66,660 votes (37.88 percent) against the 77,737 votes (44.17 percent) secured by Shoukath. UDF's vote share increased by 2.73 percent compared to the 2021 election.</p><p>The 19,760 votes (11.23 percent) secured by former left-front MLA P V Anvar, who resigned owing to differences with Pinarayi and joined the TMC, is also considered as anti-incumbency votes. Anvar had won Nilambur in 2016 and 2021 with a margin of 11,504 and 2,700 votes respectively as LDF-independent candidate.</p>.Gujarat bypolls: AAP's Gopal Italia wins from Visavadar.<p>The Nilambur by-poll, which was widely considered as the semi-finals of the 2026 assembly polls, even drew national attention as the constituency is part of Wayanad Lok Sabha seat represented by AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. She had also come down for the campaign.</p><p>Fifty-nine year old Shoukath has more reasons to cheer over winning Nilambur seat as the seat was held by his father late Congress leader Aryadan Muhammed for around 30 years in a row until he kept off from electoral politics in 2016 due to ill health. Though Shoukath, who is a former municipal chairperson of Nilambur and a filmmaker, contested in 2016 to succeed his father he was defeated by Anvar by 11,504 votes. Lack of support from Muslim outfits was then considered as a reason as both father and son were known progressive leaders. But this time most Muslim outfits too supported Shoukath.</p><p>The LDF is suffering a major embarrassment as it lost its sitting seat despite fielding party state secretariat member Swaraj, who was learnt to be handpicked by Pinarayi himself. The election outcome could affect the LDF's campaign that team Pinarayi will make a hattrick victory in the 2026 assembly polls.</p><p>Congress leaders termed the election outcome as a reflection of resentment of people across the state against the Pinarayi government. While veteran Congress leader A K Antony commented that Pinarayi government can now continue only as a caretaker government till the next elections, Opposition leader V D Satheesan gave the credits to the combined effort of UDF leaders for the victory. </p><p>CPM camps tried to wriggle out of the embarrassment with party state secretary M V Govindan stating that UDF got the support of communal forces and there was only a marginal increase in UDF's vote share. He also rejected the criticisms that his statement on the eve of the by-poll regarding CPM-RSS alliance during the time of emergency also became a reason for the defeat.</p>