Congress clears Anvar's candidature in Beypore; all eyes on poll battle

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 (IANS) Even as the Election Commission is yet to announce the schedule for the Kerala Assembly elections, the Congress on Monday sent out a clear political signal by indicating that P.V. Anvar, a two-time former Left-backed Independent legislator, will contest the Beypore Assembly constituency in Kozhikode district.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President and senior legislator Sunny Joseph said Anvar would be the candidate and expressed confidence in his victory.

“He will win from Beypore and go on to become the MLA,” Joseph said when asked about Anvar’s candidature, effectively setting the tone for what is shaping up to be a keenly-watched contest in a seat long considered a CPI(M) bastion.

Reacting swiftly, Anvar said he had already been in campaign mode for over 15 months.

“My only aim is a fight against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his son-in-law, State Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas,” he said, adding that his political mission was to end what he described as the “family hegemony” surrounding the Chief Minister.

The Congress signal and Anvar’s sharp positioning have injected fresh volatility into Beypore, represented by Riyas, who is also one of the most prominent younger faces in the CPI(M).

Riyas’ political rise has been rapid. After marrying Vijayan’s daughter Veena Vijayan during the Covid pandemic in a low-key ceremony at the Chief Minister’s official residence, he was fielded from Beypore — a seat the Congress-led Opposition has not won since 1977.

Following Riyas’ victory, he was inducted into the Cabinet with charge of the key Public Works and Tourism portfolios and later elevated to the CPI(M) State Secretariat.

However, the renewed political activity of Anvar, who quit the Assembly last year after falling out with Vijayan.

After briefly supporting the UDF and then taking a U-turn he contested the bypoll independently and finished third.

Since then Anvar has returned to the Congress fold and was made an associate member of the Congress-led UDF and now with Joseph also clearing, Beypore is expected to see a fierce poll battle .