P.V. Anvar resigns as Nilambur MLA in Kerala

Independent legislator P.V. Anvar steps down days after meeting Trinamool Congress leaders in Kolkata

P.V. Anvar, Independent legislator from Nilambur in Kerala, has resigned. He met Kerala Speaker A.N. Shamseer and handed over his resignation letter on Monday (January 13, 2025).

Mr. Anvar decided to step down from the post days after meeting Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in Kolkata. Later, in a social media post, Mr. Anvar said he would coordinate the party’s activities in Kerala. He stopped short of saying whether or not he had accepted TMC membership, possibly to dodge any legal action under the anti-defection law, including the loss of his Assembly seat. 

Mr. Anvar had sought a safe harbour in TMC after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) rebuffed his attempt to ally with Tamil Nadu’s ruling party after he acrimoniously broke ranks with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala. 

Nilambur bypoll

Mr. Anvar’s resignation triggered speculation about a possible byelection in the Nilambur Assembly constituency, which the opposing fronts in Kerala appeared keen to avoid. 

Mr. Anvar’s often sharply zigzagging political career commenced as a leader of the Kerala Students Union (KSU). He joined the Congress and parted ways with the party in 2005, then allied himself with the late K. Karunakaran, a breakaway Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran). Later, he allied with the LDF and won twice from Nilambur as the ruling front’s independent candidate.

Turns against CM

Mr. Anvar emerged as a zealous supporter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Assembly and outside. However, the relationship soured after Mr. Anvar became a sharp critic of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and the State Police’s top brass. 

He accused certain officers at the helm of law enforcement of corruption and criminality. Mr. Anvar also accused them of having an anti-minority mindset. He charged them with conspiring to stigmatise residents of Malappuram district as gold smugglers and hawala racketeers. He also accused Mr. Vijayan of leading an ivory tower existence far removed from the travails of the common folk. 

Mr. Anvar also accused the CPI(M) leadership of being apathetic to the concerns of ordinary workers. Consequently, the CPI(M) severed ties with Mr. Anvar. The Speaker later allotted Mr. Anvar a seat away from the Treasury bench.

CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan had said Mr. Anvar’s resignation would have “no bearing on State politics” and that he would end up with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) “as predicted.”

He termed Mr. Anvar “a media creation whose sensational value would soon peter out.”

Published - January 13, 2025 10:24 am IST