Will field candidate against Anwar, says Trinamool Congress; state president clarifies stand

KOZHIKODE: The state president of the Trinamool Congress has said that if P.V. Anwar contests the Assembly election from Beypore, the party will field its own candidate there. State president C.G. Unni alleged that Anwar joined the UDF without the knowledge or consultation of the party’s national leadership. Anwar, who resigned as an MLA after falling out with the Left Democratic Front, has announced that he will contest from Beypore in the upcoming assembly election.

P.V. Anwar is planning to contest as the UDF candidate from the Beypore Assembly constituency and has already started campaigning. Beypore is the sitting seat of Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas and is a constituency that the LDF has traditionally won. It was in this context that Anwar began campaigning in the constituency months ahead of the election. The district leadership of the Muslim League has also come out in support of Anwar’s candidature, saying that he has a chance of winning if he contests.

During his campaign in the constituency, Anwar said that nepotism had weakened the Chief Minister. He alleged that after Mohammed Riyas became the Chief Minister’s son-in-law, Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan was no longer the same. He claimed that many leaders in the Kozhikode district were sidelined after Riyas was brought into prominence and said he would get their support. The former Nilambur MLA also said that his fight is against family rule.