Left-turned-rebel legislator P V Anvar roils Kerala politics

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Thiruvananthapuram: After suffering a crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala is enmeshed in a deep crisis, with an MLA from its own rank taking tenaciously on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Until about a month back, businessman-turned-independent LDF legislator P V Anvar had been the most pampered figure in the Left circles, especially by the CPI(M). The acerbic tongue and minority status of the two-time legislator had often come handy for the LDF in taking on persons and forces inimical to the interests of the dispensation.

Hailing from Nilambur in Malappuram district, the CPI(M) had for leveraged Anvar as a political asset to make its presence felt in the Muslim-dominated area, where the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), is an unassailable power. Though he has never been a card-carrying party member, he had enjoyed great clout in the CPI (M) circles. But all that his history now, with Anvar unleashing a venomous attack on the government, singling out the Chief Minister as his central target.

It all started over a month ago with Anvar demanding the transfer of a couple of police officers who had allegedly come in the way of his personal and political interest in his home district. He then ramped up attack day in and day out, training his gun at an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), said to be close to the Chief Minister. With his demands remaining unmet, he then launched a no-holds-barred attack on the political secretary of the Chief Minister, a Communist Party of India (CPI) nominee in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

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Meanwhile, the acrimony got further vitiated with the charge that the ADGP targeted by Anvar had a meeting with a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary, during a visit to the state. First raised by the opposition leaders in the assembly V D Satheesan of the Congress, the issue gained traction with Anvar seizing on it to sharpen his attack. The story-starved Malayalam TV news channels lapped up the Anvar show, without ever bothering to verify the veracity of his spiteful gripe.

As Anvar kept on spewing political venom, the Chief Minister himself came on the scene, rebutting point-by-point the charges levelled by the estranged MLA. At an unusually lengthy press conference, he went on to suggest that what had enraged Anvar was his frustration at the ruling dispensation’s refusal to safeguard his personal and business interests, which are a bit shady.

All the same, a department-level probe was ordered to look into some of the issues raised by the rebel MLA. Having reached a tipping point, Anvar held a couple of public rallies earlier this week, sharpening his attack on the government. Anvar’s rebellion had thrown up a new dimension to Kerala politics, now, to a certain extent, a three-dimensional show with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as a player to reckon with, though nowhere near the LDF and United Democratic Front (UDF) in electoral politics.

Anvar’s tirade has given plenty of talking points for the main opposition UDF. It, however, has kept a safe distance from him so far. Anvar’s revolt has another layer to it. It has come at a time when the CPI(M)’s attempts to woo Muslim minorities failed to pay off in the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP is believed to have made some inroads into the CPI (M) vote bank in many parts of the state. This is said to have compelled the party to have a re-look at the strategy of cosying up to Muslims to pre-empt further erosion of its overwhelmingly Hindu support base.

Top CPI(M) leaders, however, have rubbished this narrative, holding that as ever before the party is stiffly opposed to all hues of communal politics. Significantly, the instant support for Anvar has come from Islamist outfits and Muslim organisations. It will be interesting to watch how this episode is going to play out, as it has added a new dimension to Kerala politics.

On the flip side, Anvar’s campaign has helped to a certain extent reconsolidate the position of the Chief Minister in his party and outside, after his stocking dwindling following the rout in the LS polls. Left to himself, Anvar is not a big force to emerging as a major player beyond his home turf. What is eagerly watched is whether he will join the UDF or not?

Though he hails from the Congress background, joining the party of UDF may not be a prime option for him. The Congress leaders too appear not very happy to accommodate him. The IUML may also not unroll a green carpet to him. A viable option before the embittered Anvar is to float a party of his own and join the UDF eventually.