Nilambur: Conceding his defeat in the Nilambur by-election, LDF candidate M Swaraj said that it cannot be claimed that anti-incumbency sentiment was reflected in the result. He added that the Left will move forward based on the lessons learnt from this election.

Swaraj extended his congratulations to Aryadan Shoukath, the winning candidate from Nilambur, and reiterated that the LDF’s struggle for the people would continue, whether in victory or defeat. “Congratulations to Aryadan Shoukath on his victory. Even if it is for a short term, may he be able to perform well as an MLA,” Swaraj said.

“The Left approached this by-election as a political battle. Though the opposition parties tried to wear us down with controversies, we strived not to give in. We tried to engage with the people on issues of development and other matters that affect them. It appears that the public did not consider those issues in the way we expected,” he said.

“We will take to heart what needs to be taken. We will continue to convey what needs to be communicated to the people. We will move forward based on the lessons drawn from this election. It cannot be said that anti-incumbency sentiment was reflected in Nilambur. If that were the case, it would mean that the people rejected this government’s administrative reforms and developmental initiatives. That doesn’t seem to be the case,” Swaraj noted.

“Power cuts, for instance, were eliminated during the tenure of the Left government. If we claim there is anti-incumbency, are we then suggesting that people want to return to the days of power cuts? It was the Left government that raised welfare pensions and ensured their timely distribution. So are we to believe that, through this result, the people of Nilambur have called for those pensions to be discontinued? That claim cannot be justified,” he asked.

“Therefore, it cannot be said that the Nilambur verdict is a judgement against the government. We will study this outcome further. We will examine whether there were any misconceptions among the public. We do not feel that there was any flaw in the politics we put forward, in our unblemished secular stance, or in our vision for the comprehensive development of Kerala. We do not believe that such positions are always fully appreciated in every election. But that doesn’t mean we will abandon our rightful stance,” Swaraj asserted.

He said he does not take seriously the allegation that he failed to create a strong wave as a candidate. “There is talk that the vote count even declined in my own panchayat. Just because I trailed in my home area doesn’t mean I’m incapable — it reflects the overall impact of the defeat. Even Rahul Gandhi moved to Wayanad after losing in his own constituency. We suffered a setback in the constituency, we were defeated — I accept that. We only raised issues that affect the people,” he said.

“We did not try to politicise controversies. Nor did we fall into the traps of controversies raised by the opposition. I have no regret about saying that we do not want votes from communalists. The Left has never needed and will never need the support of any communalist. No matter how many times we are defeated, we will not change our stance on that. Just because a stance is correct does not mean it will always be accepted. Still, we will never abandon the correct stance,” Swaraj said.

“All electoral outcomes are politically assessed. Had we won this election, we would have continued our work for the people and the region. Now we have lost. But even in defeat, our struggle will continue. That’s all. Whether we win or lose, our fight for the people will go on,” he told the media.