Former Nilambur MLA and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader P.V. Anvar has accused the Kerala Congress leadership of pushing his political career towards “euthanasia”, stating that his last hope now rests with AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal. Anvar’s efforts to join the United Democratic Front (UDF) remain in limbo, with the state Congress leadership showing no signs of yielding.
His attempts to block Aryadan Shoukath from being named the UDF candidate for the Nilambur bypoll have been unsuccessful. While Anvar did not explicitly name Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan, his statements strongly hinted that the latter is the primary obstacle standing in his way.
Speaking to the media today, Anvar claimed that senior Congress leaders—including former KPCC presidents K. Sudhakaran, Ramesh Chennithala, and K. Muraleedharan—have been in touch with him. He added that leaders from the Indian Union Muslim League are also supportive of his entry into the UDF. “I have submitted the letter [seeking UDF entry] and am waiting for a response,” he said.
Anvar also expressed disappointment that the UDF had failed to honour an earlier promise to make the AITC an associate member. “An associate membership is like standing on the steps of a bus. Even that would have been enough for us. We are a small party. But even that wasn’t announced,” he said.
On May 27, when asked about Anvar, Satheesan had said that it was up to Anvar to decide his stance on the assembly bypoll. “The Congress has unanimously decided to field Shoukath. Anvar has raised objections, which are his personal opinions. Once he makes his decision, the UDF will make its own,” Satheesan had said, making it clear that the UDF is not willing to bend under pressure.
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Anvar—who parted ways with the Left Democratic Front after a fallout with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan—lashed out at Satheesan’s remarks, saying, “I have already been stripped naked by [the LDF] for months, and now the opposition leader has thrown dirt on my face. He has sent me for euthanasia. What mistake did I make?”
Anvar has reiterated his threat to field a TMC candidate in the Nilambur bypoll if the Congress High Command fails to take a favourable decision. “I still have hope in K.C. Venugopal. He has strong leadership qualities. I am trying to reach him,” he said, adding that the TMC will make a final decision on contesting within the next two days.
He also claimed that if the decision does not go in his favour, the TMC will contest the bypoll, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC MLAs from Bengal campaigning in Nilambur. Anvar, who has personal differences with UDF candidate Shoukath, also warned that if a favourable decision is not made, he will reveal how Shoukath was selected as the UDF candidate in Nilambur, and who influenced the opposition leader to back the decision.
