Nilambur by-poll campaign takes polarising turn after Welfare Party offers support to UDF

The upcoming Nilambur by-election, expected to be a routine contest between the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF, has taken a polarising turn with the Welfare Party of India extending support to the Congress-led front.

The decision has sparked strong reactions from various quarters, with the Catholic Congress, a lay organisation of Syro-Malabar Catholics, publicly slamming the Congress party for aligning with what they called a "communal outfit with extremist inclinations".

‘Undermines secular fabric’

The Welfare Party, which has its ideological roots in the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, formally announced its support for the UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath. The move, perceived as an effort to consolidate minority votes, has invited allegations from both the Left and a section of Christian organisations that it undermines the secular fabric of the state's political ethos.

In a strongly worded statement issued on June 11, the Catholic Congress denounced the Congress party for accepting the Welfare Party’s support. It accused the Congress of abandoning its secular commitments and warned that the alliance with a party rooted in Jamaat-e-Islami ideology could further communalise Kerala politics.

Also Read: Nilambur bypoll: CPI(M) slams UDF over Jamaat-e-Islami backed party's support

The Catholic Congress’s statement alleged that the Welfare Party "has consistently adopted a communal stance and has supported groups with radical leanings in the past". By accepting their backing, the Congress was “betraying the legacy of inclusive politics,” the organisation said.

The press note added that the Welfare Party’s ideological foundations “stand in direct contradiction to the inclusive and pluralistic traditions upheld by secular parties in Kerala”. The Catholic Congress also pointed out that while the BJP’s communalism is rightly criticised, there must be equal scrutiny of communalism emanating from minority quarters.

“We cannot endorse a selective secularism that ignores one form of extremism while condemning another,” the statement said, warning that such compromises would alienate moderate believers and push religious communities into hardened identity politics.

Muslim bodies express concern

It's not just the Catholic Congress expressing concern, several Muslim organisations, particularly the influential Sunni factions that dominate Kerala’s Muslim population, are also uneasy about the Congress-Welfare Party alliance. The Samastha Kerala Jam'iyyathul Ulama, a long-time ally of the IUML and the UDF, has publicly voiced its disapproval.

“There are many who face allegations of extremism, but Samastha has never had even a petty case against it in its history,” said the organisation’s president, Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal, underscoring their discomfort with the new political shift.

Also Read: Nilambur bypoll campaign marks key shift in Kerala's electoral politics

Ummer Faizi Mukkam, a cleric within Samastha known for his slight ideological inclination towards the Left, went a step further in criticising the Congress-led UDF.

On the other hand, the rival Sunni faction led by Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliar has reiterated its firm support to the LDF, stating that the Congress lacks the credibility or leadership quality to be supported at this juncture. Kanthapuram’s faction, which has maintained a consistent distance from the UDF and its traditional ally IUML, criticised the Congress for what they described as opportunistic alliances and a lack of clarity in political positioning.

Double standards: Congress

The Congress has found itself in a difficult position, trying to defend the Welfare Party's support without explicitly owning it. While no alliance was signed, Leader of opposition VD Satheesan welcomed the Welfare Party’s support as a "natural extension of shared opposition to the LDF government".

“Jamaat-e-Islami supported the CPM until 2019. Even Pinarayi Vijayan has held meetings with its leaders. When Jamaat-e-Islami backs the CPM, it is called secular, but when it supports the UDF, it is branded communal. How can that be right? People will see through this double standard,” added Satheesan.

LDF’s aggressive campaign

However, the optics of the move has provided ammunition to the CPI(M) and the LDF, which have launched an aggressive campaign painting the UDF as being in alliance with communal forces. The LDF candidate, M Swaraj, in several campaign speeches, has referred to the Welfare Party’s support as proof that the Congress is “playing a dangerous game with communal elements for short-term electoral gains”.

The CPI(M), sensing an opportunity to reclaim its ground in a constituency that has historically tilted towards the UDF, has sharpened its attack by bringing up the ideological positions of the Welfare Party.

Also Read: Nilambur by-poll: P V Anvar to contest as independent after TMC nomination rejected

“The UDF has become an alliance of communal forces. Jamaat-e-Islami is recognised globally as a communal outfit,” CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said, targeting the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Welfare Party.

At the same time, he defended the LDF’s association with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), led by Abdul Nazar Maudany, stating, “PDP represents a large, oppressed community,” drawing a distinction between the two alliances in terms of ideological and social legitimacy.

Welfare Party counters narrative

Meanwhile, the Welfare Party has tried to counter the narrative by presenting itself as a democratic and constitutional organisation committed to social justice.

“Our support to the UDF in Nilambur is based on the specific political context and our assessment of the LDF’s anti-people policies,” said Welfare Party state president Razak Paleri.

Also Read: Ground Report | Nilambur bypoll race hots up, with last-minute twists

He accused both the CPI(M) and the Catholic Congress of trying to whip up communal tensions by misrepresenting the Welfare Party’s ideological stand.

“We are not contesting this time. That doesn’t mean we have no role to play in stopping the misrule of the LDF,” he said.

Early signs of polarisation

Political observers note that Nilambur, with a mixed population of Muslims and Christians, is witnessing early signs of polarisation. The Catholic Congress statement, along with local social media campaigns, has seen an increase in communal rhetoric.

Local churches have reportedly advised caution in voting, urging parishioners to remain vigilant about the “emerging communal threats from all sides”.

Also Read: Kerala: M Swaraj named CPI(M) candidate for Nilambur bypoll

Some Congress workers privately admit that the episode has cost them goodwill among sections of Christian voters, who view the Welfare Party’s backing with suspicion.

“There is a quiet churn happening. People are uncomfortable, even if they are not vocal about it,” said a local Congress panchayat member.

LDF’s struggle

In recent times, especially during the Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M)-led LDF has struggled to retain the trust of Muslim minorities, despite efforts to capitalise on internal divisions within the Sunni community — a strategy that ultimately backfired. Now, the front finds itself in a tight spot, as it risks losing OBC Hindu votes to the BJP while also failing to regain minority support.

Even their pro-Palestine stance and other minority-friendly positions haven’t seemed to help, with the Congress aggressively pushing a narrative that paints the CPI(M) as a party increasingly aligned with Hindu interests.

Also Read: Nilambur bypoll: Congress fields Aryadan Shoukath

As the campaign enters its final week, Nilambur has become a litmus test for the future of secular alliances in Kerala. The Congress’s balancing act between Muslim and Christian vote banks, the CPI(M)’s aggressive attempt to reclaim lost support, and the Welfare Party’s bid to remain politically relevant without contesting - have all made this a complex and highly-charged contest.