Malappuram, June 23 (UNI) Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Aryadan Shoukath wrested the Nilambur Assembly constituency from the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) by a margin of 11,432 votes in the by-election on Monday.

UDF's Shoukath secured 76,493 votes, LDF's M Swaraj 65,061 , Independent and former Nilambur MLA PV Anvar 19,946 and BJP-led NDA candidate Mohan George 8,706 votes.

Ten contenders were in the fray in the constituency with a total of 2,32,057 voters.

The turnout of 75.27 per cent was recorded on June 19 with 1,74,667 electors reaching the polling booth and exercising their right to vote. Out of 1,13,299 male voters, 81,007, out of 1,18,750 female voters, 93,658 and two out of eight transgenders exercised their right to vote.

The Nilambur by-election was necessitated following the resignation of LDF- backed Independent MLA PV Anvar in January 2024. He defected from LDF and joined All India Trinamool Congress and became the state convenor of AITC.

LDF backed Independent MLA Mr Anvar has been representing Nilambur assembly constituency for the last 8.5 years (2016- 2024) .

In the 2016 elections, LDF-backed independent PV Anvar defeated Congress' Aryadan Shoukath by a margin of 11,504 votes from the constituency on Shoukath's maiden electoral battle, after his father Aryadan Muhammed won from Nilambur constituency six times consecutively from 1987 to 2011.

In the 2021 assembly elections, LDF-backed Independent PV Anvar defeated Congress' VV Prakash by a margin of 2,700-odd votes.

UNI AK PRS