Jamaat-e-Islami’s political wing, the Welfare Party, has officially declared its support for the Congress in the Nilambur assembly by-election. Welfare Party state president Razak Paleri, at a press conference held on June 9, announced the party’s backing for Aryadan Shoukam, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate led by both the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Nilambur, situated in Malappuram district, falls under the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Priyanka Gandhi. The Congress’s public endorsement by Jamaat has dealt a setback to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which has been supporting Palestinian terrorism and promoting anti-Israeli and anti-Hindu narratives to get vote from Muslim fundamentals.
As a strategy to appease Islamic fundamentalists, the CPI(M)-led Left government had recently reopened legal proceedings against Sangh Parivar leaders over the 2019 Sabarimala women’s entry agitation. However, this strategy failed to gain traction. The CPI(M) Central Committee also reiterated its anti-Israel stance recently, expressing solidarity with Gaza. Notably, the announcement came a day after the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, had called for a boycott of TATA.
The Nilambur constituency has a diverse voter base, with approximately 45 per cent Hindus, 44 per cent Muslims, and 10 per cent Christians. Although the banned terrorist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), have fielded candidates, they are expected to offer covert support to the Congress in the days ahead.
Communal parties like the Muslim League, a key Congress ally, are focused on ensuring a UDF victory in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. If the UDF form the next government, the League is reportedly preparing to seek high-level posts, including that of Deputy Chief Minister. Given Priyanka Gandhi’s political dependence on the League’s support in Wayanad, the Congress may find it difficult to reject such demands.
During the previous UDF regime (2011–2016), the League held five ministerial positions, including crucial portfolios such as Education and Industry. It is believed that the current wave of public support from Islamic communal outfits like Jamaat for the Congress is part of a broader plan to establish a more Islamic-leaning government than the present CPI(M)-led government in Kerala, under the leadership of the Congress-League alliance in 2026. The Nilambur by-election is widely viewed as a testing ground for this political strategy.
