Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) may be revelling in its resounding victory in the Nilambur Assembly by-election, but the focus has yet to shift away from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Despite the Left Democratic Front (LDF), headed by the CPM, losing the seat—fielding high-profile candidate M Swaraj in the process—there has been no internal dissent or visible criticism directed at Vijayan, who has led the state government continuously for nine years.

Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath secured a convincing win in Nilambur, a constituency that had previously favoured CPM-backed independent P V Anvar in both the 2016 and 2021 state elections. Anvar had enjoyed victories with margins of 11,504 and 11,077 votes, respectively. However, his lead narrowed remarkably to 2,800 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

A political analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted: “Even after defeat, no one is pointing fingers at anyone within the CPM. Compare that to the Congress, where internal contradictions surface even in victory.”

“This is the organisational strength of the CPM. Already, confusion surrounds Anvar’s future, with senior Congress leaders sending mixed signals,” the observer added.

CPM state secretary M V Govindan maintained that the Left’s core support had not diminished, arguing that the by-election result should not be interpreted as a sign of public dissatisfaction.

Echoing Govindan’s stance, youth leader Jake C Thomas—who has lost three elections to the Chandy family, including the 2023 by-election to Chandy Oommen—remarked: “Now that Govindan has spoken, I have nothing more to add.”

Meanwhile, uncertainty continues to surround Anvar’s political future. Following a fallout with Chief Minister Vijayan, Anvar resigned from his position as MLA in January and sought entry into the UDF as an associate member. However, his move faced stiff resistance from a faction led by the Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan.

In the Nilambur by-election, Anvar still managed to attract over 19,000 votes. State Congress president K Sudhakaran and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala hinted that his re-entry into the UDF was not entirely off the table—remarks that reportedly left Satheesan visibly uneasy.

When questioned about Anvar’s chances within the alliance, Satheesan gave a terse response: “No comments.”

UDF convenor Adoor Prakash, meanwhile, offered a more cautious view: “We tried to cooperate with Anvar, but his last-minute actions made things difficult. Any future decision regarding him must be taken collectively by all alliance partners.”

Undeterred, Anvar has now set his sights on State Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas, who is also the Chief Minister’s son-in-law. He has pledged to challenge Riyas in the Beypore constituency during the 2026 Assembly elections.

While the CPM stands united in insulating Chief Minister Vijayan from the repercussions of the Nilambur loss, the UDF is now contending with internal discord in the wake of its victory—chiefly centred around the uncertain political future of P V Anvar.