Ernakulam (Kerala) [India], May 31 (ANI): Kerala Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader VD Satheesan on Friday said that the upcoming Nilambur by-election would be treated as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government accountable. He also confirmed that the first phase of the campaign work has been completed.

'We have already launched the election campaign, and our conventions are also going on... We will take it as an opportunity to prosecute the Pinarai government...' Satheesan told ANI.

He added that preparations began a month ago and that significant voter outreach had already been achieved.

'We have completed our first round of election work and started our preparation a month ago. A total of 10,000 voters are enrolled in the election, out of which we have enrolled 8000...' he further added.

The Nilambur by-election is scheduled for June 19, with counting to be held on June 23.

The election was necessitated following the resignation of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA who stepped down in January after being appointed the Convenor of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Earlier, on May 25, Malappuram District Congress Committee (DCC) President VS Joy stated that the party's high command would finalise the candidate for the bypoll. Joy expressed confidence that the political climate in Malappuram heavily favoured the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

'The high command will decide the candidate. The candidate is merely a technicality. The atmosphere in Malappuram is such that anyone who becomes the candidate will win,' Joy told reporters here.

Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Sunny Joseph welcomed the announcement of the by-election and said it would serve as a referendum on the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's performance.

'We welcome the declaration of the Nilambur byelection, though it is late. The UDF (United Democratic Front) and the Congress party are well prepared for the election... This election will be a verdict against the anti-people policies and programmes of the LDF (Left Democratic Front), their political atrocities, criminalisation of the police force, and the human-animal conflict being neglected by the government...' Joseph told ANI. (ANI)