The race for the Beypore constituency just got a lot more interesting. Although the UDF hasn't officially released its full list of candidates yet, KPCC president Sunny Joseph let the cat out of the bag on Monday, confirming that Trinamool Congress leader PV Anvar will be the front’s nominee for the Kozhikode seat.
Anvar’s move to Beypore is a significant political shift. The former LDF MLA, who previously represented Nilambur, famously broke ranks with the Left to join the Trinamool Congress— which has now conveniently become an associate partner of the UDF. By placing him in Beypore, the opposition is clearly setting up a high-stakes showdown against Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas, who also happens to be Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law.
Sunny Joseph sounded confident about the pick, telling reporters that Anvar would not only contest but "come out victorious." Anvar himself was a bit more coy while visiting the Chaliyam harbour on Monday to meet with local fishermen. When pressed on whether his name was a done deal, he simply remarked, "Someone will have to contest... let us see," though his active presence in the area for weeks suggests the decision was made long ago.
Anvar didn't miss the chance to take a dig at Riyas and the CPM leadership. He alleged that the party and the government are now under the "dominance of a single family" and claimed that veteran CPM workers in the region have been sidelined. "He is in the kick of being the son-in-law," Anvar said of Riyas, adding that his grievances weren't personal but about the Minister's failure to address the struggles of ordinary people.
The LDF has yet to officially fire back at Anvar’s comments, but with the UDF expected to finalise its seat-sharing deals in the next few weeks, the battle for Beypore is already shaping up to be one of the most watched contests in the state.
Also read: 'Will contest from Beypore if UDF wants', says PV Anvar
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