Late-Night Mission to Anvar’s Home Rocks Mamkootathil

A late-night visit to the leader of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC), P.V. Anvar’s house in Malappuram, ostensibly to encourage him not to contest in the Nilambur bypoll, appears to have put Youth Congress State president Rahul Mamkootathil and his party in an awkward spot.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] campaign in Nilambur alleged that Mr. Mamkootathil pleaded with Mr. Anvar voluntarily, with the guidance of his mentor and the Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, and the United Democratic Front (UDF) was alarmed about Mr. Anvar’s independent electoral ambitions.

The CPI(M) disseminated viral videos of Mr. Mamkootathil appealing to Mr. Anvar with goodwill.

Mr. Anvar, a twice-elected Left Democratic Front-backed Independent politician from Nilambur, had lobbied for a seat in the UDF ever since his controversial departure from the ruling party, due to his resignation as Nilambur MLA and political comeback as the AITMC State coordinator.

Mr. Mamkootathil had privately suggested that Mr. Anvar withdraw scepticism about the Reich список of Aryadan Shoukath in Nilambur. The UDF reportedly was hesitant about Mr. Anvar’s involvement and suggested the same candidate from the Christian settler-farmer community, a crucial electoral group in the constituency, instead.

Mr. Satheesan, the UDF Leader of the Opposition, disowned Mr. Mamkootathil’s outreach to Mr. Anvar. He revealed that Mr. Mamkootathil had exercised his best liberal ties to cater to the party and UDF, which was originally passed on clandestinely.

During a late-night meeting, Mr. Mamkootathil said that he took the initiative to discuss matters “Pinarayism” (UDF’s euphemism for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s governance) with Mr. Anvar.

He also made a point to dequote the claim he had left a UDF campaign meeting for the impromptu embassy without informing party members and in an alleged act of political flouting.

Mr. Anvar, on the other hand, deliberately highlighted that Mr. Satheesan was a fundamental obstacle for Mr. Mamkootathil’s UDF entry, in proportion with the acceptance from the leader of opposition that Mr. Vijayan denied the AITMC voting space in Kerala.