TMC enters Kerala politics, fields PV Anvar in Nilambur by-election

New Delhi: The Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday announced its debut electoral foray into Kerala by deciding to contest the upcoming by-election in Nilambur, an Assembly constituency under the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat currently held by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The by-election, scheduled for later this month, was necessitated by the resignation of sitting MLA PV Anvar, a Left-backed independent who stepped down after falling out with chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Anvar has since joined TMC and has been appointed its state convenor. On Sunday, he formally declared his candidacy, positioning himself as a potential game-changer in a high-stakes battle between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) ahead of next year's state election.

Nilambur, part of Malappuram district, is one of seven Assembly segments within the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, which spans across Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts. Anvar, 58, comes from a family with deep roots in the Congress and ties to the Indian freedom movement. Over his political career, he has been affiliated with the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and the Left before aligning with TMC. A businessman-politician known for his maverick style, Anvar has long worked to cultivate Nilambur as his personal political stronghold, leveraging his local influence to sway the contest between UDF and LDF. The constituency is demographically diverse, with significant Muslim, Hindu, and Christian populations.


With Anvar as its face in Kerala, TMC's entry into the state is being closely watched-especially in light of its uneasy relationship with the Congress.