The high-octane, month-long public campaign for the Palakkad Assembly by-election concluded on Monday evening with grand roadshows organized by the three major political fronts—the Congress-led UDF, the CPI(M)-headed LDF, and the BJP-led NDA.

The campaign officially ended with a vibrant ‘kottikalasam’ at 6 PM, featuring party workers accompanied by drummers, dancers, and musicians, making the finale a memorable spectacle.

The key contest in Palakkad is between Rahul Mamkootathil of the UDF, Youth Congress State President; Dr P Sarin, an LDF-backed independent candidate; and BJP’s C Krishnakumar.

UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil began his roadshow around 3 PM from Olavakkode, while LDF candidate Dr P Sarin launched his procession at 4 pm from the CPI(M) district committee office.

BJP candidate C Krishnakumar’s rally started from Melamuri Junction. Each rally witnessed hundreds of enthusiastic supporters, creating an electrifying atmosphere across the constituency.

Prominent leaders joined the roadshows to boost morale. Alongside Rahul Mamkootathil, Congress leaders VK Sreekandan MP, Shafi Parambil MP, Muslim League leader Munavvarali Thangal, and actor Ramesh Pisharody lent their support.

LDF’s rally saw participation from State Local Self-Government Minister MB Rajesh and CPI(M) District Secretary Suresh Kumar, alongside Dr Sarin. The BJP’s roadshow featured Sobha Surendran, BDJS leader Thushar Vellappally, and other key leaders supporting C Krishnakumar.

The campaign period witnessed several dramatic twists, including P. Sarin’s departure from Congress to run as a Left-backed independent candidate and BJP leader Sandeep Warrier’s controversial move to the Congress. These developments have added intrigue to the electoral contest.

The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of MLA Shafi Parambil, who won the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat. In the 2021 state assembly polls, BJP candidate E Sreedharan narrowly lost to Shafi Parambil by just 3,859 votes. Palakkad will go to the polls on November 20, followed by a day of silent campaigning on Tuesday. Votes will be counted on November 23.

Despite optimism surrounding Sandeep Warrier’s entry into Congress, the party’s state leadership is concerned about potential backlash from minority voters. In a bid to mitigate this, Congress leaders insisted on Warrier visiting the influential Panakkad family in Malappuram on Sunday.

The Palakkad bypoll promises to be a closely fought battle, with each party striving to secure the seat.