THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the Congress, its short political gamble with Trinamool Congress (TMC) state convener PV Anvar has turned into a bitter experience. Anvar, too, had high hopes and calculations.
Both Anvar and the Congress leadership have claimed that the deadlock was due to differences over the selection of the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate and TMC’s induction into the front. However, emerging behind-the-scenes accounts suggest a different story.
The real reason, according to sources, was the demand for seat allocation to TMC in the 2026 Assembly elections. “Anvar wanted the Koduvally Assembly constituency, which is currently held by the Indian Union Muslim League,” said a Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office bearer. “However, the League told Anvar to sort things out with the Congress first. We immediately realised this would go nowhere. How could UDF discuss seat sharing or give a written assurance before a party even joins the front?” he asked.
Top UDF leaders now say that Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) president K Praveen Kumar’s alleged intervention only worsened the situation. To break the deadlock, Praveen reportedly suggested that Congress might consider offering Anvar a seat from Kozhikode district. “This move was made without KPCC’s consent,” a senior UDF leader told TNIE “That became a turning point. Anvar began demanding a written assurance for a seat.”
Meanwhile, the Congress leadership has dismissed Anvar’s allegations. Anvar had claimed that opposition leader VD Satheesan had sabotaged his planned meeting with AICC general secretary KC Venugopal in Kozhikode. Though the meeting didn’t happen, several sources said Venugopal had repeatedly tried to contact Anvar, who didn’t respond.
“Many senior leaders held discussions with Anvar. But his inconsistency became a problem. He was damaging the image of a UDF candidate. It was clear that his main goal was to contest from Nilambur or get a winnable seat. So, we decided to close the door for now,” said a Congress leader. “There is no way we’ll reach a truce while he continues to attack the UDF leadership.”
Still, many in the UDF and Congress feel that the episode has cost them politically. They fear the incident has harmed the Congress’s image and weakened their edge against the ruling LDF.
As for Anvar and his allies, the coming days are expected to be critical. He now faces his biggest political challenge yet. In the past, he always managed to find political backing whether from the Democratic Indira Congress, former KPCC president K Sudhakaran, or even the CPM.
However, within the TMC, there is now concern that as the campaign picks up, their leader’s visibility in the media and on the ground may start to fade.