Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) district vice-president and Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate V.K. Nishad secured a notable victory from Ward 46 (Mottammal) of the Payyannur municipality despite serving a prison sentence in a decade-old bomb attack case.
Mr. Nishad secured 536 votes and defeated UDF candidate Arjun Koroth by a margin of 341 votes.
Mr. Nishad’s campaign ran from behind bars after the Taliparamba Additional District Sessions Court convicted him and fellow DYFI activist T.C.V. Nandakumar for hurling a bomb at a police team in Payyannur in 2012, an act carried out during a protest against the arrest of CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan in connection with a high-profile case.
The court sentenced both to 20 years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹2.5 lakh each, though the sentence will run concurrently, effectively resulting in a 10-year jail term.
Mr. Nishad entered the fray legally as his sentence had not been pronounced at the time of filing nominations. To safeguard the party’s position, another candidate, M. Harindran, was fielded, but did not withdraw Mr. Nishad’s nomination. CPI(M) cadres have publicly backed Mr. Nishad even after conviction, greeting him with slogans outside the court.
Published – December 13, 2025 10:29 pm IST
