High stakes in Nilambur: Why CPI(M) turned to Swaraj?

Thiruvananthapuram, May 31 The CPI(M)’s surprise decision to field 46-year-old firebrand leader and state secretariat member M. Swaraj in the June 19 Nilambur Assembly by-election has set tongues wagging in political circles in Kerala.

Though a native of Malappuram district, where Nilambur is located, Swaraj has largely been based in Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi. He previously contested twice from Tripunithura, winning once and losing once.

A political observer, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan -- widely seen as the ultimate authority in both the party and government -- may have had a strategic reason for the move.

The political observer pointed to the growing influence of Vijayan’s son-in-law and cabinet minister for PWD and Tourism, P.A. Mohammed Riyas.

“Swaraj was never in the picture until Thursday. The CPI(M) hasn't fielded a party candidate in Nilambur since 2006. Riyas, ever since his marriage to Vijayan’s daughter in 2020, has been fast-tracked within both the party and the government. The portfolios he holds were once the domain of seasoned veterans. There’s no doubt that Swaraj has immense potential and is considered a rising star in the CPI(M). A second defeat in the assembly polls could seriously dent his future prospects -- and that could only benefit Riyas,” the analyst noted.

Until Thursday, the CPI(M) was reportedly scouting for an independent candidate -- someone apolitical but sympathetic to the party’s ideology. Names that did the rounds included U. Sharaf Ali, a former India footballer, senior police official, and current president of the Kerala Sports Council, as well as a popular doctor based in Malappuram.

However, by Friday, the tide had turned. At a state secretariat meeting chaired by Vijayan, Swaraj’s name was floated -- and quickly accepted without dissent.

Swaraj first came into the limelight during the peak of the feud between Vijayan and his party rival V.S. Achuthanandan, when he controversially remarked that Achuthanandan deserved “capital punishment” for “waging war” against Vijayan.

He was fielded from Tripunithura in 2016, defeating Congress veteran and then Excise Minister K. Babu. But in the 2021 election, Babu returned the favour. After that loss, Swaraj was denied a ministerial berth, while Riyas was swiftly inducted into the cabinet. In 2022, both men were brought into the powerful state secretariat.

Speaking to reporters after arriving in Nilambur on Saturday, Swaraj described the by-election as a “political battle” where all issues -- including the performance of the Vijayan government -- would be up for debate.

Senior Congress leader and eight-time MLA K.C. Joseph told IANS that the CPI(M)’s decision is perplexing. “Just the other day, they were talking about fielding an independent candidate. Now it’s Swaraj. Maybe they are making a scapegoat of him, because victory for the Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath seems inevitable,” said Joseph, who confirmed he will be campaigning in Nilambur.

Discontent over Riyas’s rise is also reportedly brewing within the CPI(M). Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh is said to be unhappy, and similar murmurs have been heard from Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal and Industries Minister P. Rajeeve.

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