MALAPPURAM: "We functioned like a single party though the UDF is a platform of different parties,” Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said in his first reaction after the Nilambur bypoll results were announced on Monday.
His remarks reflected the sentiments of those leading the different constituents in the Congress-led front.
It was the IUML that functioned as the ‘lubricant’ to ease any friction among the different players in a by-election hailed as the semi-final for the 2026 assembly elections.
The first hurdle before the IUML was to make Aryadan Shoukath, whose past utterances against its leaders remained a bad memory, acceptable to its cadre.
It sorted the problem out with envious flexibility, despite constant efforts by rivals to rake up the issue on social media.
The next issue for the UDF was P V Anvar, whose mercurial character and contradictory utterances baffled all. After Satheesan took the crucial decision to keep him out of the UDF, the IUML stood by Congress despite its difference of opinion.
There were also problems with the UDF associating with the Welfare Party, the political wing of the Jama’at-e-Islami, an organisation it had kept at an arm’s length, citing its extremist leanings.
It became the IUML’s responsibility to justify the association, which was done by P K Kunhalikutty who said the UDF will not say ‘no’ to votes from any corner. The League showed maturity in dealing with the allegation of nurturing extremist elements.
Kunhalikutty maintained the decency after the result was announced.
“Nilambur is the cross section of Kerala where there is the presence of all communities,” he said, adding that the UDF win was a reflection of the secular mind of the state.
It was this show of the camaraderie that helped UDF fully utilise the anti-incumbency factor that would have gone in the favour of Anvar, who was raising voice against ‘Pinarayism’ in full volume. Like other recent by-polls, Congress succeeded in plugging all the loopholes in Nilambur that would have marred its candidate’s chances.
That the incumbency factor was all-pervading will be evident from a cursory glance at the results. Shoukath garnered votes from all segments of people and across all geographical regions. UDF workers were not satisfied with confining themselves to their strongholds and worked hard to make headway in areas considered CPM strongholds.