MALAPPURAM: From the furore over the UDF candidate and suspense surrounding the LDF pick, to Jamaat-e-Islami’s support to the Congress-led front and Chief Minister’s Pinarayi Vijayan’s ‘betrayer’ jibe, public campaigning for the June 19 Nilambur by-election that wound up on Tuesday sure was eventful.
The UDF first suffered a headache when P V Anvar opposed the selection of Aryadan Shoukath as the front’s candidate and sought assurance over his entry into the UDF. Attempts to take Anvar into confidence made no headway and the former MLA finally entered the fray as an independent.
This was soon followed by the unexpected selection of M Swaraj as the LDF pick. The CPM decided to field Swaraj amid rumours that the party, which had backed Anvar in 2016, would once again field an independent.
Meanwhile, the BJP, withdrawn from the contest initially, also announced a candidate. Adv Mohan George’s candidacy, who was pulled out of the Kerala Congress, became a political strategy of the BJP, which had its eyes on Christian votes.
The main topic of discussion when campaigning began was the recurring damage reported at various stretches of the NH 66. The Congress used this as a weapon against the state and Union governments. At one point, Public Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas called K C Venugopal, the chairman of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee who intervened in the matter, ‘Kalan’.
The death of Gafur, a rubber tapper who was mauled by a tiger in Kalikav, a place adjacent to the assembly constituency, also became an election issue, with the Opposition blaming the government for not doing anything to ensure the safety of farmers, and the LDF citing central law as a hindrance.
There was no shortage of controversies in the days that followed. Pinarayi, while inaugurating an LDF convention, triggered a row by calling Anwar a ‘betrayer’. K C Venugopal’s reaction, terming the CM a ‘betrayer’ who had cast a shadow of suspicion on Malappuram, also sparked a controversy, as did his bribery jibe, which the Left alleged was aimed at welfare pensioners in the state.
The absence of Panakkad family members from the UDF convention also came as a blow for the Congress-led front and set tongues wagging. However, Malappuram district president Syed Abbas Ali Thangal soon cited communication gap as the reason for the absence.
When Ananthu, a student, died of electrocution from a trap set for wild boar, the LDF tried to stir up the issue by alleging the person who set the trap was a Congress representative. The UDF hit back, saying the KSEB was responsible for failing to prevent electricity theft.
Meanwhile, the bag controversy of the Palakkad bypoll reached Nilambur, too, when election officials stopped the vehicle carrying KPCC working president Shafi Parambil and MLA Rahul Mamkootathil for inspection. However, it only led to criticism against the conduct of the two leaders within the UDF camp.
As the campaigning entered its final 10-day stretch, the Jamaat-e-Islami announcing support to the Congress became the most-discussed topic. The controversy was sparked after Welfare Party, backed by the Jamaat, announced support to the UDF. Pinarayi claimed that the UDF was joining hands with communal parties for ‘four’ votes. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan hit back saying Pinarayi was the first to welcome the Jamaat.