Palakkad: The curtains fell on a month-long electrified campaign and intense political battles on Saturday as Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil emerged victorious in the Palakkad bypoll, stepping into the Kerala Assembly as the successor to his long-time ally, Shafi Parambil. Mamkootathil secured a thumping win, garnering 18,724 votes more than his closest rival, BJP’s C Krishnakumar.  

Dr P Sarin, the LDF-backed Independent who had stirred controversy with his sudden defection from Congress, ended up in third place. Despite media buzz surrounding his candidacy, Sarin's performance fell short of expectations. 

The bypoll was necessitated after Shafi Parambil vacated the Palakkad Assembly seat to represent Vadakara in the Lok Sabha. The contest carried high stakes for the Congress, as it aimed to retain one of its strongholds amidst a reduced voter turnout of 70.51 per cent, compared to 75.37 per cent in 2021.  

The counting process, which began at 8 am at Government Victoria College, witnessed dramatic shifts in trends throughout. Initial rounds of postal ballots gave Krishnakumar an early lead, but Mamkootathil quickly gained ground, overtaking the BJP candidate by 9.30 am with a margin of over 1,000 votes.  

The race turned unpredictable by 10.30 am when the BJP reclaimed a slender lead of 400 votes. However, Mamkootathil regained dominance by 11 am, leading by 1,300 votes after seven rounds of counting. In a brief moment of suspense, Sarin climbed to second place, pushing the BJP to third. But by the eighth round, Mamkootathil’s lead swelled to nearly 5,000 votes.  

As the counting progressed, Mamkootathil solidified his position, extending his lead to over 10,000 votes by 11.40 am. By noon, after ten rounds, he had established an unassailable margin of 12,000 votes, sealing a decisive victory. This result far exceeded the 3,859-vote margin achieved by Shafi in 2021, underscoring Mamkootathil’s potential as a significant force in Kerala politics.  

Celebrations erupted among United Democratic Front (UDF) supporters even before the final results were declared. Outside the polling station, jubilant workers paraded with trolley bags—a satire nod to allegations that Mamkootathil had smuggled black money in a blue trolley bag during the campaign, a claim that became a hot topic in Kerala’s political circles.