KOCHI: The year 2021 was witness to a tragic event, one, which because of its rare nature, would go down as one of the saddest in the annals of state assembly elections.
Following an intense poll battle, in which voters marked their mandate on April 6, the results were due on May 3. For UDF candidates, who were just gradually emerging from a bruising campaign to oust a popular LDF government, the month-long wait for results added to the stress. That was when sad news emerged from Malappuram: senior Congressman and UDF candidate from Nilambur V V Prakash had succumbed to heart failure in the early hours of April 29 -- four days from counting day.
As president of the Malappuram unit of the party, Prakash was one of the UDF hopefuls, expected to win back the seat from LDF-backed independent P V Anvar. Prakash’s popularity as a local leader was considered his strong suit.
“Prakash was a beloved local leader and a wise choice for candidate. As a Gandhian, he was humble and accessible. In the days following the election, we were confident that he would pull through,” said Prasanth Nilambur, his brother.
“His political journey had been far from smooth, but he was a loyal Congressman who bided his time. And when it finally came, he was under great pressure and stress,” he added.
From being a KSU leader in his college days, Prakash would go on to be state general secretary of the Youth Congress, KPCC secretary, and Malappuram DCC chief. In a long political career, his first opportunity to be part of elections opened up in 2016, when minister and sitting MLA Aryadan Muhammed decided not to contest due to health issues. But talks to determine the candidate for Nilambur did not go to plan as Prakash had to make way for Muhammed’s son Aryadan Shoukath, who would go on to lose the seat to Anvar by 11,504 votes.
In 2018, his name was back in the reckoning when senior Congress leader and sitting Wayanad MP, M I Shanavas, passed away. But while there was to be more disappointment for Prakash, as the party chose T Siddique, the seat was ultimately contested by Rahul Gandhi. It was to be third time lucky when Prakash was chosen to take on Anvar in 2021.
Nilambur was not one of the constituencies that even the LDF expected to retain. The local sentiment suggested a close race. But as fate would have it, Prakash lost to Anvar, but not before reducing the latter’s winning margin to 2,700 votes.