Latest news with #Anvar
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Captain or Major? After bypoll win, Congress leaders fight over credit
T'puram/Kozhikode: UDF's win in Nilambur has sparked serious differences within the Congress, with senior leader Ramesh Chennithala voicing his displeasure over opposition leader VD Satheesan being praised as the 'captain' of the bypoll victory. "When I was opposition leader, we won several bypolls. But no one called me a captain," he said. To ease tensions, Satheesan responded, "If I'm called the captain now, then Chennithala is the major of the party." Chennithala said the party learned a key lesson from Nilambur — unity leads to victory. "In Nilambur, the anti-govt sentiment was strong and people clearly demanded change," he said. Chennithala also distanced himself from Satheesan's 'Mission 63' plan for the upcoming assembly election. Satheesan had proposed the strategy to secure 63 winnable seats, but the party hasn't revealed which seats are part of the plan. "Will it be a problem if we win more?" Chennithala asked. On the debate over former LDF-backed MLA PV Anvar's entry into UDF, Chennithala said, "We tried to bring Anvar to our side, but his criticism of our candidate became a problem. We tried to correct him, but he didn't listen. So UDF decided to ignore him." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Direct Shopping From Adidas Franchise Store With 60% Discount Original Adidas Shop Now Undo Asked if the opposition leader would become the chief minister if Congress won the next election, Chennithala said the party high command would take a final call. While Congress leaders have largely aligned with Satheesan's stand opposing Anvar's entry into UDF, IUML leaders have signalled that the door is not totally shut on the former MLA with senior leaders saying that Anvar was a factor in Nilambur bypoll and the votes he secured would come up for discussion. IUML MP ET Mohammed Basheer said Anvar was a factor in Nilambur bypoll as he secured significant votes and it was natural in politics to consider broadening UDF's support base ahead of future elections. "The matter of how to accommodate likeminded people for that is something which has to be discussed," he added. Basheer said there would be more favourable changes in the relations between parties during elections and said that it is something that can be discussed then. "The issue of Anvar's entry will automatically come up for discussions," he added. Senior leader MK Muneer said though he felt that this is not the time to discuss Anvar's entry into the front, the votes he received would come up for discussion. "We are not viewing the over 18,000 votes he secured lightly. Most votes he secured came from the Left. That is not a small number," said Muneer. He added that Anvar's remarks against UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath and Satheesan had created difficulties in reaching a collective decision. "IUML had taken initiatives in this regard at the outset. But we won't do anything that would cause damage to the front," he said. IUML's leadership meeting in Malappuram on Friday will discuss Nilambur election results. After UDF won in Nilambur, Satheesan had said that the front had closed its door to Anvar based on a collective decision and there were no discussions about reopening it at the moment. Anvar, who resigned as the MLA after a fallout with CPM and necessitated the bypoll, made inroads into the vote banks of both fronts. He secured 19,760 votes (11.23%) in the constituency.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Kerala HC slams govt for failing to register case over ex-MLA P V Anvar's phone-tapping claims
Kochi: High court on Thursday criticised the state govt for failing to register a case or conduct an investigation into the serious allegation that former MLA P V Anvar intercepted telephone conversations of various individuals, including IPS officers, to gather information on gold smuggling and other criminal activities allegedly involving senior police officers. The bench of Justice P V Kunhikrishnan was hearing a petition filed by Murugesh Narendran, a planter and businessman from Kollam, seeking a CBI probe into the allegations. The petitioner further alleged that Anvar's actions amounted to a violation of the fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of speech guaranteed under the Constitution of India. Earlier, the state govt had informed HC that the preliminary inquiry report into the allegations did not warrant any action against Anvar, as no cognizable offence could be established. However, the bench expressed dissatisfaction with the govt's position that there was no direct evidence to register a case against Anvar. The court orally remarked that it is the responsibility of the state and the investigating agency to find evidence, and that such a stand by the authorities cannot be accepted. It further noted that Anvar had repeatedly held press conferences and made public statements regarding the issue. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The allegation that he intercepted telephone conversations of IPS officers is serious, HC observed. Narendran had earlier filed complaints against Anvar with the state police chief and the superintendent of police, Malappuram. However, no action was taken, prompting him to approach high court with a petition seeking a CBI investigation. HC directed the state police chief to consider the petition submitted by Narendran and take appropriate action.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Alleged phone tapping by P.V. Anwar: HC directs police to consider petition
The Kerala High Court has directed the police to consider a petition filed by an entrepreneur in connection with the alleged tapping of phones of IPS officers and others. Kollam-based entrepreneur Murugesh Narendran had earlier approached the police in the wake of alleged claims by former MLA P.V. Anvar that he had tapped their phones. Citing that such tapping was a violation of their privacy and rights, he approached the court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) 'as the police had not conducted a probe into his complaint.' While directing the police to consider the petition, the High Court asked whether Mr. Anvar ran a parallel system of governance. The High Court had in December 2024 issued notice to the State government and Mr. Anvar on a writ petition seeking a CBI probe into the alleged illegal tapping of phones by Mr Anvar. Mr Narendran had pointed out that the MLA had publicly admitted to having intercepted telephone conversations of individuals, including police officials, politicians and the petitioner.
The Print
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
How VD Satheesan's leadership won Congress Nilambur, and silenced his detractors
'At present, there is no one in the Congress leadership who can take a strong stand. This is happening after a long gap, since K. Karunakaran. Neither the high command nor other leaders can ignore that,' state-based political analyst C.R. Neelakandan said. The victory has elevated popularity and stature of Satheesan, whom many in his own Congress party saw as 'arrogant', within the party. He is now being praised not just for strategising the campaign for the 19 June poll but also for taking tough decisions, something his party is often accused of lacking. Thiruvananthapuram : With MLAs and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee members overseeing two to three booths each, and district unit presidents one each, the party's Nilambur byelection win is being credited as much to a tightly coordinated strategy as to strong stands taken by Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan in run-up to the bypoll. A loss in the Nilambur bypoll would have been a death knell of sorts for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which has been out of power in the state since 2016. For the Congress, it wasn't a smooth sailing during the campaign, largely due to the controversies created by former MLA P.V. Anvar. Anvar, earlier an independent MLA backed by the Left Democratic Front (LDF), openly attacked Satheesan and Congress and UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath after his attempts to join the UDF after resigning the seat didn't work out. In 2016, the LDF fielded Anvar and he defeated Shoukath by 11,504 votes. In the 2021 polls, Anvar was re-elected, this time defeating Congress' V.V. Prakash by 2,700 votes. But he resigned the seat in January—the resignation triggered the byelection—after a fallout with the LDF leadership, and declared an open war against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Though a section of Congress leaders and its ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) wanted to bring him into the UDF fold, Satheesan remained firm against this, forcing Anvar to contest as an independent. Meanwhile, the ruling CPI(M), which hadn't fielded a candidate on its own symbol since the 2006 assembly polls, chose one of its most popular faces and party state secretariat member M. Swaraj to contest the poll. This was break from the CPI(M) usual practice of supporting an independent in Nilambur. In the high-stakes contest, Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath secured 77,737 votes, followed by CPI(M)'s M. Swaraj with 66,660 votes. Anvar came third with 19,760 votes. A Congress functionary based in Nilambur said Satheesan's popularity within the party has risen significantly after the bypoll results announced 23 June. 'He is generally considered arrogant, even within the Congress. But now everyone agrees that his stand benefited the party. If Anvar had been accommodated, he would have taken credit for the victory and interfered in party affairs,' the functionary said. He added the Congress youth wing, which has practically remained inactive in Nilambur, was reactivated during the campaign, and several popular young leaders joined the canvassing. 'Since top leaders directly monitored preparations, internal disagreements didn't flare up as they usually do,' the functionary said, but quickly added a caution, 'It may not be the case in the Assembly election.' He also noted the IUML had already agreed with the Congress to put up a united front in this election, as a defeat in the IUML's stronghold of Malappuram (the Nilambur constituency falls in the district) would have been a setback for the League. Political analyst P.J. Vincent said Satheesan has managed to project a strong persona of himself after the bypolls, a trait usually associated with rival leader and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. 'Satheesan is the only leader in Congress today who can take firm stands. The party usually avoids confrontation and yields to public or ally pressure. Satheesan's role in the Anvar decision marks a shift,' Vincent told ThePrint, adding the results mean Satheesan now becomes the front-runner chief ministerial candidate from the Congress if the UDF wins the assembly polls next year. However, Vincent also pointed out that Congress' vote share had slightly dipped from the 2021 Assembly polls, when V.V. Prakash had polled 78,527 votes in Nilambur, indicating the party couldn't fully consolidate the anti-incumbency vote. He added that if Anvar were brought into the UDF, it would have still benefited the Opposition, as he remains one of the most vocal critics of the Pinarayi government. The rise of the leader 'When we win, it's a collective credit. But when something comes out negative, the entire responsibility will be on me, (and) it should be,' Satheesan said in an interview in the run-up to the bypolls. The leader was particularly talking about the flak he was receiving for not accommodating Anvar into the UDF. As for Anvar, after resigning from the Nilambur constituency, he met top Congress and IUML leaders in his attempt to join the UDF. However, it didn't happen as Anvar held a series of press conferences openly criticising the UDF's choice of fielding Aryadan Shoukath. He also attacked Satheesan for opposing his entry. 'Anvar's character is unpredictable. You can't trust him,' political analyst C.R. Neelakandan said. But, when the door was decisively shut on Anvar, many Congress and IUML leaders did express displeasure over Satheesan's decision. Hailing from Ernakulam district's Nettoor, Satheesan's political journey began with an unsuccessful candidature in the 1996 Kerala Assembly polls. But he won the 2001 elections from Paravur and has since emerged victorious from the seat in consecutive polls, the margin in the last two Assembly polls being more than 20,000 votes. Satheesan became the Leader of the Opposition, succeeding Ramesh Chennithala, in 2021, after the Congress suffered defeats in two successive Assembly polls. He was appointed nearly two weeks after the Youth Congress wrote to the All India Congress Committee, calling for a change in the party's leadership in the state. Following Satheesan's appointment, one of the party's young faces and then Palakkad MLA Shafi Parambil wrote a Facebook post welcoming the decision. Satheesan has stayed away from Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor's complaint that he wasn't invited to campaign in Nilambur, but has questioned the basis for his praise for the LDF government on the ease of doing business in the state. 'Satheesan has an upper hand in strategising elections, which was evident in Thrikkakara, Puthuppally, and Palakkad bypolls too. He also enjoys the support of Congress's youth leaders,' Neelakandan said. There have been bypolls to five seats—Thrikkakara, Puthuppally, Palakkad, Chelakkara and Nilambur—in the state since the 2021 elections. Except Thrissur's Chelakkara constituency, the UDF has won all four. Nilambur is also the first Congress win in a seat previously held by the LDF. A Congress functionary told ThePrint Satheesan has emerged as a star among party functionaries and cadres after the polls. 'It showed us that the party can take a stand and win without anybody's help. It will boost cadre morale heading into the upcoming local body elections,' he said. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Tharoor admits to 'difference of opinion' with Congress, says not asked to campaign in Nilambur
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CPM to probe Nilambur bypoll debacle, vote loss in LDF bastions
Kozhikode: Noticing significant vote erosion to former Left-backed independent candidate PV Anvar in party strongholds in Nilambur, CPM will conduct a detailed probe to identify the reasons behind the byelection loss. The party will focus especially on how Anvar attracted votes from LDF's base as preliminary booth-level data showed a shift of votes that would have otherwise gone to the LDF. Sources said CPM's state secretariat meeting later this week will discuss the bypoll debacle but the party will wait for the probe results before deciding on corrective actions. CPM believes that nearly 5,000 votes Anvar secured came from Left strongholds, even if not directly from core party households. The party is especially concerned about its defeat in key areas like Nilambur municipality, Amarambalam and Pothukallu panchayats as well as the reduced margin in Karulayi, where a large lead was expected. You Can Also Check: Kozhikode AQI | Weather in Kozhikode | Bank Holidays in Kozhikode | Public Holidays in Kozhikode Compared to 2021 elections, LDF lost 14,567 votes in the constituency, a drop of 9%. In 2021, the Left-backed independent MLA (Anvar) had secured 81,227 votes but in 2025, Swaraj managed only 66,660 votes. At Swaraj's birthplace, Pothukallu and in Nilambur municipality—where he is a voter— LDF trailed behind UDF. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Palawig: Scholarships You Can Apply For (Start Now) College Scholarship | Google Search Search Now Undo Anvar won over 100 votes in four booths and more than 2,000 votes in Amarambalam panchayat. In Left-ruled Karulayi, he secured over 100 votes in seven booths and more than 1,800 votes in the panchayat. In Nilambur municipality, he gained over 2,000 votes. While LDF's high-profile candidate M Swaraj secured the party's core votes, some party sympathizers did not fully support him. Sources said Anvar, who served as an MLA for nine years, had built goodwill among these sympathizers, which affected the vote share, even though CPM had instructed its cadres to avoid him. CPM state secretary MV Govindan had acknowledged that many votes Anvar secured should have gone to LDF. With local body and assembly elections coming up, CPM plans to identify weaknesses and stop vote leakage, which will be crucial for winning individual wards. Despite the excitement around Swaraj's candidacy, especially within Left circles, it did not bring in the extra votes needed for an LDF win in Nilambur.
