Kerala polls | PV Anvar to be UDF candidate from Beypore: Sunny Joseph

Kozhikode: Even as the UDF is yet to officially announce its candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections, KPCC president Sunny Joseph on Monday said that Trinamool Congress leader P V Anvar will be the front’s candidate from the Beypore constituency in Kozhikode district.

Anvar, a former LDF MLA, resigned from the Assembly after quitting the Left front and later joined the Trinamool Congress, which was recently made an associate party of the UDF.

He has been active in the Beypore constituency for the past several weeks amid speculation that he would contest against Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in the forthcoming Assembly polls.

Replying to questions on Anvar’s candidature, Joseph confirmed that he would be the UDF nominee.

"He will come out victorious and become the Beypore MLA," Joseph said, adding that Anvar would contest as the UDF candidate.

However, Joseph did not respond further about Anvar’s candidature.

On Monday, Anvar visited the Chaliyam harbour here and interacted with fishermen and fish traders.

Asked whether his candidature has been finalised, Anvar declined to give a clear response.

"Someone will have to contest. It will be decided later. Let us see," he told reporters.

Responding to questions about his remarks targeting Riyas, who he often called 'son-in-law,' Anvar said there was no doubt that the Tourism Minister was a politician.

"But the government and the CPI(M) party are under the clutch of a family’s dominance. Where are the prominent CPI(M) leaders from here who worked for the party earlier? Not even workers are with them now," he alleged.

Anvar further said that Riyas had failed to address issues concerning ordinary people.

"He is in the kick of being the son-in-law. I have no personal issue with him. My issue is with his actions," he said.

Claiming that people were highly enthusiastic about the UDF campaign, Anvar criticised the LDF’s statewide development rally.

"The LDF is conducting a development rally across the state. If development has really happened, then why such a rally? It is a fraud," he alleged.

CPI(M) and LDF has not responded to Anvar’s allegations.

Anvar, who earlier won elections from the Nilambur constituency in Malappuram district, has now shifted his focus to Beypore as the UDF is expected to finalise candidates and seat-sharing arrangements in the coming weeks.