Posters welcoming PV Anvar appeared in Beypore. | Photo credit: K. Ragesh
One of the most closely watched electoral battles in the upcoming assembly elections will be played in Beypore in Kozhikode if the United Democratic Front (UDF) goes ahead with its plan to pit PV Anvara, former Nilambur MLA, against PA Mohamed Riyas, Minister for Public Works and Tourism, who is expected to seek a second term from there.
A senior Congress official told The Hindu on Wednesday that discussions were on to give a ticket to Mr. Anwar as a UDF-backed independent. However, all is not rosy for the two-time legislator as the Trinamool Congress state unit has opposed his move to contest from Beypore “without the consent of the party’s national leadership”. Trinamool Congress State President CG Unni told the media that the party was not consulted when Mr Anvar joined the UDF recently. He also announced the Trinamool Congress’s decision to field a candidate against him if Mr. Anvar contests from Beypore.
However, Mr. Anvar gave ample indication of his candidacy on Wednesday when he posted a photo and a short description of his future plans on his Facebook page. He wrote that the river Chaliyar (in his hometown) was a “miracle that becomes a sea” as it flows from Nilambur to Beypore to join the Arabian Sea there, while conquering “many minds and shores” through “its flow, its power and the water it carries forward”. A few days ago, Mr. Anvar shared a video of himself interacting with locals at Beypore beach along with the tagline “Beypore, kattu kollan irangiyathanu” (In Beypore, enjoy the sea breeze). Flex boards welcoming him to Beypore came up in various parts of the constituency.
It is learned that the UDF has informally conveyed its approval to Mr. Anwar, though a public announcement is yet to be made. Following this, he recently visited various areas in Beypore and interacted with prominent people there. The local unit of the Indian Union Muslim League also welcomed Mr. Anwar to the constituency.
For the record, candidates fielded by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have been winning from Beypore without a break for over 45 years. The last Congress leader to emerge victorious from here was the late NP Moideen, whose Congress (U) was part of the LDF in 1980. Mr. Riyas defeated Prime Minister Niyas of the UDF in 2021 by a margin of 28,747 votes.
Mr Anvar, a former Congress leader who broke away from the party, had won from the Nilambur Assembly constituency in Malappuram in 2016 as an LDF-backed Independent. Although he repeated his victory in 2021 as well, Mr. Anvar severed his ties with the LDF in 2024 after expressing his differences of opinion with Chief Minister Vampijan Pinarayi. Hindutva”. Mr. Anvar then resigned and joined the Trinamool Congress. Though he contested the Nilambur by-election in 2025, Mr. Anvar was relegated to the third position. The UDF recently decided to make him an associate member.
Published – 21 Jan 2026 19:26 IST
