SATHEESAN'S STOCK RISES IN KERALA

Nilambur by-poll was seen as a test of his leadership, especially after his decision to exclude P. V. Anvar from the UDF fold

- BY MANOJ NAIR | Business Editor

Kerala's quarter-final elections are decided, with Aryadan Shoukath winning by a handsome margin in the Nilambur by-poll. A victory for the Congress candidate was more or less assured once his lead swelled past the 6,000-vote mark.

It must be said the Congress has won decisively. And for V.D Satheesan, the current Leader of the Opposition, it gives him a reason to start dreaming about becoming the next Chief Minister of Kerala, some time by May 2026.