Anvar secured substantial share of Left Front's votes in Nilambur, CPM changes stance; Anvar responds

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM has changed its stance on the results of the Nilambur by-election, with party state secretary MV Govindan conceding that independent candidate PV Anvar secured a substantial share of the Left Front's votes. However, he added that the support Anvar currently enjoys is only temporary and is not likely to last in the long term.

Govindan stated that the Left government had undertaken major development projects in Nilambur over the past nine years, starting from 2016. He said that Anvar was able to present these achievements as his own, which contributed to the erosion of votes from the Left candidate.

He also remarked that Anvar, who had previously exited the LDF after betraying the alliance, effectively shifted allegiance to the UDF in this election. Govindan added that the CPM would introspect and address its organisational weaknesses going forward. He further asserted that his references to the RSS during the campaign did not negatively impact the party or its candidate.

"Looking at past elections, the Left traditionally received around 40,000 votes in Nilambur. This time, we were able to increase it to 66,660, which shows that our political base has expanded. In the last nine years under Left rule, the independent MLA carried out major development work in Nilambur. Anvar projected these efforts as his personal achievements, helping him secure votes. However, this support is not permanent—it is only temporary," said Govindan.

Meanwhile, PV Anvar expressed satisfaction over the CPM's acknowledgement that he received votes from the Left Front. He stated that the only person responsible for the Left candidate’s defeat in the constituency was Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.