Anvar announces his candidature, more drama to Nilambur byelection

Kozhikode: Adding to the political drama surrounding the Nilambur assembly byelection, former MLA and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) state convenor P V Anvar announced his candidature as the party candidate in the June 19 poll. He said he would file his nomination on Monday.Soon after Anvar's declaration, the AITC announced his candidature and allotted him the party's "two flowers plus grass" symbol. The byelection was necessitated by Anvar's resignation in Jan after breaking ranks with the ruling LDF. He wrested the constituency for the LDF as an independent candidate in 2016 by ending 29 years of Congress dominance.Anvar announced his candidature after days of pressure tactics and confrontation with the Congress and UDF to accept AITC in the front with the assurance of a sure seat for him, even while refusing to withdraw his remarks against UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath.Justifying his candidature, Anvar said Shoukath lacked the ability to defeat "Pinarayism" and a UDF defeat would allow the LDF to return to power in 2026. "If Shoukath loses, all the slogans I raised against Pinarayi Vijayan will go in vain. Should I merely remain a spectator?" he asked, vowing to secure at least 25,000 votes by raising the concerns of the settler farmer community.Anvar further alleged a tacit alliance between opposition leader V D Satheesan and the LDF. "Satheesan is part of a larger political nexus. It was under Pinarayi Vijayan's diktat that I was sidelined by Satheesan from the UDF. Vijayan has said that Satheesan won't win another time from Paravoor if this was not complied," he claimed.He also didn't drop his habit of coining 'isms', saying what was unfolding in the UDF was nothing short of 'Hitlerism' and warning that the front would not win the 2026 election if it moved ahead under the current leadership.Targeting Satheesan, Anvar said he urged the Cong leader to strongly oppose the move to promote ADGP Ajith Kumar as DGP, but he remained silent. Even when former Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das was reinstated, Satheesan kept mum, which he said was proof of a broader nexus involving Satheesan.He alleged that Satheesan once said that giving a fifth ministerial berth to the Muslim League would spell the end of UDF in Kerala. "Will League workers accept such a leadership?" Anvar asked. He also blamed the environmental stance taken by 'Green MLAs' under Satheesan's leadership in support of the Gadgil committee for destroying UDF's prospects in the high-range regions.Anvar also trained his guns at the UDF candidate, saying Shoukath, despite being a Muslim, acted against the community through his films. He also alleged that Shoukath disparaged Panakkad Thangals, which the community would not forget. He also criticised LDF candidate M Swaraj for his stands on the entry of women into Sabarimala and Operation Sindhoor.Before breaking ranks with the LDF, Anvar was Vijayan's trusted lieutenant in Malappuram and a key element in CPM's strategy to make inroads into UDF strongholds in the district. He wrested Nilambur, which elected Aryadan Mohammed for six straight terms from 1987 to 2016, by defeating Shoukath by a margin of 11,504 votes. In 2021, he retained the seat by defeating the late DCC president V V Prakash by a margin of 2,700 votes.The Nilambur byelection falls just ahead of the upcoming local self-govt polls and assembly election, turning it into a high-stakes political fight. Sensing the significance of the battle, the CPM dropped its post-2006 practice of fielding independents in Nilambur and put up its state secretariat member M Swaraj.