"Door is closed": Satheesan rules out UDF entry for P V Anvar

Thiruvananthapuram | In a clear message to Trinamool Congress leader P V Anvar, who has been hoping to join the UDF, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, said on Tuesday that the door to the Congress-led alliance had been shut, and there were no discussions about reopening it.

Satheesan, widely seen as the key strategist behind the UDF's string of bypoll victories since the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government came to power in 2021, made the comments a day after some senior Congress leaders sent feelers to Anvar.

The development followed Anvar's strong performance as an independent in the Nilambur Assembly bypoll, though Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath won the seat.

Anvar, a two-time MLA, contested as an independent in the June 19 by-election. While not officially backed by any major alliance, he drew a significant share of votes, surprising both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the UDF.

"We have decided to close that door -- it was a collective decision. I merely announced the decision taken by the UDF. That door has been shut, and it remains a UDF decision," Satheesan told Asianet News in an interview.

Anvar had openly expressed his desire to join the UDF after securing nearly 20,000 votes in Nilambur.

Satheesan made it clear that there were no talks within the UDF about taking Anvar in.

"There is no situation that warrants reopening that door. At the moment, there is nothing in the air -- absolutely nothing," he said.

In what appeared to be a reference to Anvar's past political bargaining, Satheesan added that the alliance would not entertain such moves.

"There is no room for bargaining politics," he said. "We will not surrender before anyone."

Earlier in the day, leaders of the UDF struck a cautious note on the possibility of bringing Anvar into its fold.

Soon after the result was announced, several UDF leaders, although buoyed by their candidate Aryadan Shoukath's victory, welcomed the idea of Anvar joining the opposition camp.

Ahead of the by-poll, Anvar had earlier expressed support for the UDF but ran independently after being denied a formal tie-up.

UDF Convenor Adoor Prakash said the UDF was ready to accept Anvar into its fold before the by-poll, but it was the adamant nature of the former legislator that foiled the chances.

"I cannot comment on anything about his entry into the UDF now. A decision can be taken only after holding discussions with prominent leaders of the UDF and its coalition partners," Prakash said.

KPCC Chief Sunny Joseph also said it was nothing but Anvar's stand that had blocked his entry into the UDF.

"He has distanced himself from us... But it is a matter to be discussed. We will discuss and decide. Everything should be made a topic of discussion in politics. We will surely take an appropriate decision," he said.

The newly elected legislator in Nilambur, Aryadan Shoukath, said he was not able to comment on Anvar's entry into the UDF.

He said what Anvar had won in the by-poll was his own votes, and he could not touch the UDF vote bank.

However, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the UDF's by-poll victory in Nilambur would be more remarkable if Anvar were part of the opposition front.

Anvar got 19,760 votes (11.23 per cent) in the crucial by-poll held in the forest-fringe constituency on June 19.

Expressing happiness over his performance, Anvar had told the media on Monday that he had expected 30,000 votes and claimed that nearly 10,000 votes meant for him had gone to Left candidate M Swaraj.

He has urged the UDF to take up the issues faced by the people of the high ranges and include them in its election manifesto for the upcoming Assembly polls.

When asked whether he would be ready to join hands with the UDF, he said, "It is up to the UDF leadership to decide. I am available."

In a fiercely fought by-election, the opposition Congress-led UDF on Monday wrested the Nilambur assembly constituency from the LDF by a margin of 11,077 votes, delivering a severe blow to the ruling dispensation ahead of the state election next year.

Congress' Shoukath defeated CPI(M) state secretariat member Swaraj by a convincing margin in the Nilambur constituency, following weeks-long spirited campaign and heated exchanges between the rivals.

The Nilambur seat fell vacant after LDF-backed independent and two-time MLA Anvar resigned, setting off a heated political contest in the forest-fringe constituency.