Activists of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF) took out a protest march here on Tuesday condemning Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in the Ponnani Lok Sabha segment P.V. Anvar for his anti-CPI remarks.
The protesters burned Mr. Anvar in effigy. Mr. Anvar said he did not get any help from the Communist Party of India. He said the CPI had more affinity towards the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Mr. Anvar’s remarks provoked the CPI and its youth wing to react strongly against him. CPI district secretary P.K. Krishnadas accused Mr. Anvar of letting down the LDF men who worked for him.
The stand-off between the CPI and Mr. Anvar has a long history. In the 2011 Assembly election, Mr. Anvar had contested against the CPI’s official candidate in the Eranad constituency. With the backing of the CPI(M), Mr. Anvar had secured second position in the election, causing the official LDF candidate to lose the deposit amount.
The CPI has never forgiven Mr. Anvar for the wound he inflicted on them. The lack of enthusiasm displayed by the CPI in Mr. Anvar’s campaign in Ponnani was an apparent reaction to the 2011 Eranad contest.
However, Mr. Anvar’s remarks about the CPI soon after the April 23 election have caused much embitterment within the LDF. The CPI district secretary went up to the extent of saying that Mr. Anvar should approach the CPI(M) if he had any complaints as the CPI(M) had chosen him as a candidate in Ponnani.
Election watchers in Ponnani pointed out that Mr. Anvar’s remarks about the CPI smacked of his desperation on facing an insurmountable challenge. Mr. Anvar was pitted against IUML veteran E.T. Mohammed Basheer in Ponnani.
Mr. Anvar had also been disappointed as he did not get the symbol of his first choice. He was seen taking extra efforts to introduce ‘scissors’ as his symbol to the voters.
