The two paradoxical statements sum up Anvar’s politics, the hallmark of which has been rebellion.
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Earlier on 10 January this year, Anvar signed up with the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) after his moves to join the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu and the Congress, where he started his political career, did not work out.
Anvar is a leader known for ‘rebelling’ in every political camp he has, so far, been a part of—from the Congress to the Left—with his name often linked to controversies in the state. The court and the administration have pulled up some of the many businesses of Anvar, the richest MLA in Kerala, for grave violations.
However, his entry into the TMC, a party with an insignificant presence in the state, is expected to have little to no impact on the state. “He is doing these [political manoeuvres] to protect his business ventures,” said Kerala-based political analyst C.R. Neelakandan.
Neelakandan further said that because Anwar was a part of the Pinarayi Vijayan regime, he had, till sometime earlier, been getting protection despite multiple rulings on the violations on the premises of his properties.
In Kozhikode’s Kakkadampoyil, Anvar owns PVR Naturo Resorts, which provides adventure tourism, including jungle safari. Anvar also owns PVR Developers, a real estate company that builds luxury apartments and residential projects. In 2021, his long absence from the state set the alarm bells ringing. Anvar later said he was in Africa to engage in a Rs 20,000 cr diamond mining project.
Neelakandan said the TMC would fail to make inroads in the state by relying on Anvar only. He said political parties revolving around a leader without a proper federal structure can not easily breach Kerala.
Neelakandan, however, said that Anvar’s rebellion might cost the LDF its seat in Nilambur. “The LDF won the Nilambur seat because of Anvar’s support. Now, the UDF has a chance of winning there,” he said.
Anvar contested the 2016 assembly elections as an LDF-backed independent candidate, winning against Aryadan Shoukath of Congress from the Nilambur constituency by 11,504 votes. The constituency had, till then, been considered a UDF stronghold, with Shoukath’s father and former Minister Aryadan Muhammed representing the party in Nilambur since 1987.
In 2021, Anvar retained the seat, winning against V. V. Prakash of the Indian National Congress by 2,700 votes.
However, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders in Nilambur credited the re-election of Anvar to the public support for the previous Pinarayi regime.
“It was only the first time that he could garner some votes [on his own],” said P.K. Sainaba, a CPI(M) state committee member from Nilambur. Anvar’s supporters, however, could not get the support of the local CPI(M) cadre during his rebellion against the party, he added.
ThePrint reached Anvar through calls and texts, and the report will be updated if and when he responds.
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Anwar’s political career & controversies
Born as the 11th son in a family with much influence in the Malabar region and close ties with the Indian National Congress during the Independence movement, Anvar’s political career started with the INC student union, the Kerala Students Union (KSU).
He was the union chairman at the college he attended—MES Mampad College in the Malappuram district. Later, he became the vice president of the Malappuram Youth Congress, recalled C.G. Unny, who, as part of the Congress, closely worked with Anvar then.
Unny said the party expelled Anvar and him for voicing their opposition to some leaders when the Congress, back in 2010, had been struggling with factionalism. Both rebels unsuccessfully contested against the Congress candidates in the following 2011 assembly polls.
“I contested against Aryadan in Nilambur, and Anvar contested against P.K. Basheer in nearby Eranad constituency,” Unny said, adding that despite their setback in that election, Anvar continued to contest many more polls as an independent candidate, later getting the support of the LDF.
While representing the Nilambur constituency, Anvar also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Ponnani constituency with the support of LDF. However, he lost to UDF’s E. T. Mohammed Basheer by 1,93,273 votes.
Active in state politics ever since he was a teenager, Anvar has always maintained that he is not just a politician and that his primary income is from his businesses.
According to the data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch in 2023, Anvar, having amassed a wealth of Rs 64.14 crore, is the richest MLA in the Kerala assembly and the 149th richest MLA in India.
In 2018, his theme park in Kakkadampoyil came under the Kozhikode district administration’s radar over the unauthorised construction of four check dams. Allegedly built in landslide-prone areas without permission, the check dams risked the region’s safety during the floods that year.
The Kerala High Court, in 2023, upheld a lower court order on the demolition of the check dams. However, according to local media reports, the administration did not initiate any action against the dams till September 2024, when the former MLA’s relationship with the ruling LDF became strained over his comments on the CM’s close aides.
In 2021, Anvar sparked another controversy when he was absent from the Nilambur constituency for three months, even skipping the assembly budget session. Amid rumours that Anvar was visiting Africa, many Congress handles flooded the comment section of Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo’s Facebook page, demanding the release of Anvar from Ghana prison. After several youth Congress workers filed a missing person’s complaint at the local police station, Anvar resurfaced. Putting rumours to rest, Anwar clarified that he had been visiting Africa for business but got stuck after testing positive for COVID-19.
Anwar was the second accused in the murder case of 29-year-old auto driver and Muslim Youth League worker Manaf in front of his father in Malappuram’s Othayi in 1995, just a day after Anvar’s relatives had an altercation with Manaf. Anvar’s nephews were the first and third accused. The Manjeri additional district session court acquitted Anvar and his nephewsafter the key witness turned hostile.
Anvar’s latest controversy was his allegations against Ajith Kumar and Sasi—which strained his relationship with the ruling LDF.
“It’s his nature to rebel everywhere. So he can not stay in any camp for too long,” said a Nilambur resident who has known Anvar for years. He said Anvar lost his political weight significantly after quitting as MLA of Nilambur, where his programmes do not attract as big a crowd as before.
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Anvar’s & TMC’s aspirations in Kerala
Anvar’s TMC entry was as spontaneous as any other moves in the last few months. There were rumours that Anvar would join the Congress after he met with Congress ally Indian Union Muslim League’s president Sayed Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal and general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty Tuesday. The Congress, however, did not welcome him immediately. Two days later, Anvar announced Friday that he joined the TMC in the presence of party MP Abhishek Banerjee.
Explaining his reasons for joining the TMC, Anvar said Mamata Banerjee’s rise to the Bengal chief ministerial post was the victory of her decades-old fight against the fascist Left in that state.
“Kerala needs a similar political movement to counter Pinarayi Vijayan’s dynastic rule and the LDF’s communal agendas. My decision stemmed from the realisation that TMC will be able to gather the minorities and people who believe in democracy,” Anvar said.
He added that the TMC would work closely with the Congress, which is part of the Opposition INDIA bloc at the Centre. He said he would not contest the upcoming Nilambur bypoll and would support the Congress candidate instead.
However, Anvar has caused friction in his new party, with many of its members in Kerala saying they are unaware of any decision within the TMC to support the Congress.
Though present since 2009, the TMC has an insignificant presence in Kerala. The TMC does not have an organisational structure in Kerala because the central leadership is keen to launch its activities in the state only if the party gets an ex-MP or -MLA to join, said Hamsa L., a member of the TMC unit in Kerala.
Hamsa said that Anvar has, so far, not talked to the TMC leaders in Kerala, though the party convener in Kerala has appointed Anvar to coordinate the TMC members. He added that the state TMC leaders and workers were unaware if Anvar had approached the TMC central leadership.
Currently working with the TMC, Unny said Anvar promised a significant impact in Kerala’s upcoming local body polls before the TMC central leaders. He, however, added that Anvar had no right to announce that the TMC would support the UDF in Kerala and that any such statement should come from the central leadership.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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