Malappuram: The wait is finally over as counting for the Nilambur by-election is set to begin at 8 am on Monday. The constituency witnessed a voter turnout of 75.87 per cent.

Counting will be conducted in 19 rounds, with 14 polling booths counted in each round, covering a total of 263 polling stations. The initial lead is expected to emerge within the first 30 minutes. Barring any disruptions, the final result is likely to be declared by 11 am.

1,76,070 people cast their votes. Of these, 1403 were postal votes, which will be counted first. Then the service votes, and at last, the votes in the EVM machines will be counted.

The early stages of vote counting in the Nilambur by-election will begin with ballots from Vazhikkadavu, Moothedam, Karulai, Edakkara, Pothukal, and Chungathara panchayats. Votes from Nilambur Municipality will be counted next, with Amarambalam panchayat coming in last.

Counting will start with Vazhikkadavu panchayat, a known UDF stronghold where the party traditionally enjoys a clear advantage. The very first booth to be counted is Thannikadavu in this panchayat. The high voter turnout has left all major fronts both hopeful and anxious, as it could signal a decisive shift or reaffirm existing loyalties.

All sides are confident of a win. UDF leaders have projected a margin of at least 15,000 votes in favour of their candidate Aryadan Shoukath, citing the anti-incumbency wave and support of minority communities. However, the LDF sources said they expect M Swaraj to win by no less than 10,000 votes, pointing to the grassroots-level campaign led by ministers and MLAs and rallies addressed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. BJP-led NDA hinted at underlying political shifts in the constituency, which would work in their favour. However, PV Anvar rejected all claims of the traditional fronts and asserted that he was headed for a third consecutive victory with a margin of 25,000 votes in the Nilambur seat. The by-election was necessitated by the rift between LDF-backed independent MLA P V Anvar and the ruling CPM.