Nilambur MLA P.V. Anwar, who was away in Sierra Leone in West Africa for the past couple of months in connection with a ₹20,000-crore business project, returned to the State on Thursday.
Mr. Anwar, who was elected from Nilambur as Communist Party of India (Marxist) Independent in the 2016 elections, will be contesting the April 6 Assembly polls from the same constituency.
Several CPI(M) workers with party flags were at the Karipur airport since morning to receive him.
The MLA’s absence in the poll-bound State had sparked off various speculation, including that he was behind bars in the African nation.
However, Mr. Anwar clarified through a video post on social media a few days ago that he was in the African nation in connection with a gold-diamond mining project and would return to India to contest the Assembly elections.
“I came to Sierra Leone for a gold-diamond mining project after researchers had found deposits of gold and diamond in the 50,000-acres forestland. The project has a potential of generating about 25,000 jobs,” he had stated. Mr. Anwar had also stated that he had 30% stake in the project.
The ruling CPI(M) on Wednesday released its list of candidates for the Assembly polls.
