NEW DELHI: In a setback for Kerala’s ruling LDF, the Congress-led UDF on Monday won the Nilambur assembly bypoll, with Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath defeating CPI(M)’s M Swaraj by 11,077 votes. This is the first time the LDF has lost a sitting seat during its current term.Shoukath, son of veteran Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed, secured 77,737 votes (44.17%), while Swaraj received 66,660 votes (37.88%). Independent candidate and Trinamool Congress state convenor P V Anvar polled a surprising 19,760 votes (11.23%), pushing BJP’s Mohan George to the fourth spot with just 8,648 votes (4.91%).The victory marks the fourth consecutive byelection defeat for the CPI(M)-led front, following earlier losses in Puthuppally, Palakkad, and Thrikkakara. The Nilambur contest, seen as a semi-final ahead of the 2026 state election, had drawn intense campaigning and sharp political rhetoric.Reacting to the result, Congress general secretary and newly elected Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, congratulated the UDF team and the voters of Nilambur.In a post on X, she wrote: “We worked as a team, each one with commitment and single pointed focus, that is the most important lesson of this success. Heartiest congratulations to Aryadan Shoukath whose dedication and service has shone through and to all the leaders and workers of the UDF whose efforts made this victory possible. Most of all a big thank you to my sisters and brothers of Nilambur for your support. Your trust and belief in the values of our constitution, and in the UDF’s vision for progress will be the guiding light for our way forward.”Shoukath attributed his victory to public dissatisfaction with the LDF, calling it a “mandate against misrule.” The CPI(M) accepted the verdict, with state secretary M V Govindan saying the party would introspect and make corrections where necessary.Issues like welfare pensions, human-animal conflict, and communal politics dominated the campaign. The UDF’s association with the Welfare Party, backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, drew criticism from the LDF, which accused the Congress of communal appeasement. The Congress, in turn, blamed the LDF for attempting to polarise voters in the Muslim-majority constituency.Opposition leader V D Satheesan called the victory a precursor to the UDF’s return to power in 2026, while AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal termed it the “people’s verdict against misrule under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.”(With inputs from agencies)