A day of twists and turns to produce four-cornered fight

The intrigue started with the reports of a clandestine meeting between Youth Congress state president and Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil and P.V. Anvar sparking controversy within the Congress party. But that did not deter Anvar from announcing his candidature in Nilambur, which is facing the bye-election due to his resigning his sitting seat as part of his fight against 'Pinarayism'.

Not to be left behind, BJP announced a surprise candidate by picking a politician belonging to Kerala Congress Joseph group to contest on the BJP ticket. The BJP decision to contest came after the state party leaders had questioned 'forced' bye-election.

Senior Congress leaders expressed divergent views on the appropriateness and implications of Rahul Mankootathil meeting Anvar when the party had declared that the UDF doors are closed for Anvar.

Rahul Mamkootathil has clarified that his meeting with Anvar was conducted in a personal capacity and not under any directive from the party leadership. He emphasized that the discussion centered on their shared opposition to "Pinarayism," referring to the political approach of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. "The Congress party did not ask me to meet Anvar. No one in the party directed me to do so," Rahul stated, asserting that his intention was to seek support for the United Democratic Front in their collective stance against the ruling Left Democratic Front.
Senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan defended Rahul's actions, describing the meeting as a personal initiative rather than a party-sanctioned engagement. Muraleedharan remarked that individuals with aligned ideologies need not contest against each other, suggesting that the meeting should not be construed as controversial. He also addressed Rahul's social media post advocating for M. Swaraj as the Left candidate, indicating that it was a personal opinion and should not be misinterpreted.
Contrastingly, Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan criticised Rahul's meeting with Anvar, labelling it as inappropriate and unauthorized. Satheesan emphasized that Rahul, being a junior MLA, was not entrusted with responsibilities to engage in such discussions. He further stated that the UDF had decided to cease all communications with Anvar, citing his repeated demands and lack of alignment with the front's objectives.
KPCC President Sunny Joseph echoed Satheesan's sentiments, affirming that Rahul's meeting with Anvar was not endorsed by the party. Joseph mentioned the possibility of taking disciplinary action against Rahul for his unsanctioned engagement, underscoring the importance of adhering to party protocols.