Congress Cries Foul Over Routine Vehicle Check in Nilambur Bypoll

As the Nilambur bypoll approaches, the Congress camp finds itself increasingly trapped between the fear of electoral defeat and an unrelenting need for screen presence. With real public support appearing elusive, the party’s strategy now seems to revolve around generating televised drama rather than meaningful dialogue with voters.
Their first act, a failed attempt to take credit for the recent surge in social welfare pensions, quickly collapsed under the weight of documented facts. Congress leaders tried to link the LDF government’s pension hike to their own legacy, but social media fact checkers unearthed a less flattering truth. Under Congress rule, pensioners endured arrears stretching up to 18 months. The actual pension increment, it turns out, was part of the LDF’s welfare agenda, not a Congress initiative.
After that narrative crash landed, the party moved to a more theatrical front, this time involving MPs Shafi Parambil and Rahul Mamkoottathil MLA. Their latest claim, political harassment at the Vadayar check post. According to them, the routine inspection of their vehicle was an outrageous violation, as if standard election protocols should not apply to elected representatives.
On Friday night, the pair staged a protest of sorts before their favorite right wing media outlets. The storyline shifted overnight, from alleged non cooperation to supposed intimidation by election officials. Yet when journalists asked the obvious follow up, why no formal complaint was filed, the duo tiptoed around the question, offering no real answer.
But facts, as they often do, got in the way. The Election Commission clarified that inspections are standard and mandatory for all vehicles, regardless of a person’s title, caste, or political affiliation. Just being an elected representative does not grant immunity from basic checks. The inspection protocol, which began on June 1 and runs until June 23, the day of result declaration, has already been applied to several prominent leaders including Minister K Radhakrishnan and MP Abdul Wahab. Their vehicles were inspected without fuss.

Election officials, speaking to the media, clarified that vehicle inspections are a routine procedure applied to all candidates and vehicles, regardless of position or political affiliation

Officials on the ground offered clarity. If a vehicle passes the Vadayar check post without inspection, responsibility would fall on them. In the case of Shafi and Rahul, officials did unload the luggage for examination, but when the leaders began demanding that they open the bags then and there, officials declined. Such a step was not necessary, and intimidation of officers on duty, they added, is unacceptable.

M Swaraj

LDF candidate M Swaraj offered a composed perspective on Saturday, telling the media that inspections during elections are routine procedures, not political ploys. As law abiding citizens, we must all cooperate, he said, noting that even his own vehicle had been inspected during the general elections. Swaraj reiterated that the idea of targeted inspections does not hold water in Kerala's political climate. If Congress genuinely believes foul play occurred, he added, they should seek legal redress, that is what courts are for.

The larger picture suggests a party unsure of its footing, grasping at theatrics to stay relevant. With M Swaraj running a confident, issue focused campaign and LDF holding strong on governance, the Congress’s resort to drama seems less like strategy and more like desperation. When electoral momentum falters, the fallback is often victimhood, and in Nilambur, Congress appears to be leaning heavily on that familiar script.