Independent candidate and two-time legislator PV Anvar surprised the UDF and LDF camps with his strong performance in the Nilambur byelection. Anvar secured 11,578 votes (12.6 per cent) by the 10th round of counting. Claiming that a majority of the votes he received were originally LDF votes, Anvar said the result reflected a clear rejection of the ruling CPM's leadership. “The verdict is against Pinarayism,” he told reporters.

He added that when 40% of the votes counted, he had already crossed the 10,000 mark, underscoring the strength of his voter base. Anvar also stressed that no political party can hope to form a government in the state without addressing the concerns of farmers and the ongoing human-wildlife conflict.

“If the UDF takes a firm stance on resolving the wildlife conflict, I, along with over 120 farmer communities, will consider supporting them. If not, there will be a new front that will prioritise and address these issues,” he said.

As counting progressed on Monday in the high-stakes byelection, Congress-led UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath steadily extended his lead over M Swaraj, the LDF candidate and CPM state secretariat member. By the end of the seventh round of counting, Election Commission data showed Shoukath, son of late Congress veteran Aryadan Muhammed, leading with 40,152 votes (43.7 per cent).