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Why TMC leader P V Anvar’s decision to resign from Kerala Assembly may fuel a Congress feud

The Independent legislator from Nilambur has backed the candidature of V S Joy, the Congress’ Malappuram district president, for the subsequent bypoll. This is unlikely to go down well with local Congress leader Shoukath, whom Anvar defeated in the 2016 Assembly polls.

Anvar's move may spell trouble for the Congress. (Photo: Facebook)

Days after joining the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Kerala MLA P V Anvar, the Independent legislator from Nilambur in Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, resigned from the Assembly on Monday and extended support to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). His move, however, may spell trouble for the Congress as it is all likely to pit Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary V S Joy and Shoukath, the son of former MLA Aryadan Muhammed, against each other.

Anvar has backed the candidature of Joy, the Congress’s Malappuram general secretary and sole Christian face in the Muslim-dominated district, saying it will give Christians in North Kerala representation in the Assembly. This has given rise to murmurs within the Congress that Anvar, the TMC state coordinator who has been reaching out to churches in the region over the issue of man-animal conflict, is calling the shots in the party.

Anvar’s support for Joy is set to cause unease within party ranks as it is unlikely to sit well with Shoukath, whose father represented Nilambur for almost four decades. Shoukath who has twice served as the president of the Nilambur panchayat lost to Anvar in the 2016 Assembly polls. “The party will decide the candidate (for the bypoll). The people know who I am,” Shoukath said.

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Adding a twist while reacting to Anvar joining the TMC, former state Congress chief and ex-Union Minister Mullappally Ramachandran asked “real Congress workers” to be alert. “The rise of a new party in Kerala with the Congress’ name will only weaken us,” he said.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, said the party had not decided on candidature for the bypoll. “The Congress and the UDF will decide who should contest from Nilambur,” he said.

Anvar, who claims he is now up against his one-time mentor and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, won Nilambur in 2016 and 2021 with the support of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) before falling out with the CPI (M) last September over the functioning of Vijayan’s political secretary P Sasi. Police action against an alleged gold smuggling racket at the Kozhikode airport

Anvar on Monday said he raised allegations against Sasi at the behest of CPI(M) leaders who, he alleged, later backtracked. The CPI(M) has denied all allegations against the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and police.

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Anvar’s move to the TMC, in and of itself, is unlikely to make any impact on state politics. The TMC has only a skeletal frame of state-level office-bearers in Kerala and has little to no presence. The party contested a few seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections but has been relegated to the margins since then. It also does not have any representation in any local bodies despite the significant number of migrant workers from West Bengal as they do not vote in Kerala.

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