Former MLA P.V. Anvar alleges vote leaks in UDF strongholds led to Beypore defeat

Former MLA P.V. Anvar has alleged that vote leaks in United Democratic Front (UDF) strongholds contributed to his defeat in the Beypore Assembly constituency during the 2026 Kerala state elections. Anvar, who left the Left Democratic Front (LDF), ran as an independent candidate backed by the UDF but was defeated by P.A. Mohamed Riyas, the son-in-law of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

In a Facebook post, Anvar questioned whether his loss was natural or engineered, stating he felt compelled to speak out following media reports and internal discussions within the UDF. He claimed his candidacy helped highlight issues such as "Pinarayism, son-in-law politics, and dynastic rule," while also aiding the UDF in other Kozhikode district constituencies. Anvar alleged that votes were leaked from UDF strongholds including Feroke, Ramanattukara, and Cheruvannur-Nallalam, while Left strongholds saw fewer losses. He also mentioned that dummy candidates secured 1,469 votes.

Anvar stated that UDF leaders had asked him to reduce the Left candidate’s lead in Beypore while promising support in other areas. He claimed the lead in Beypore was reduced to around 5,000 votes, but the UDF’s failure to secure expected leads in Feroke and Ramanattukara led to his defeat. Anvar has pledged to release detailed booth-wise vote figures from all 215 polling stations, including locations where votes were lost and explanations for the discrepancies.

Meanwhile, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state general secretary P.M. A Salam responded to Anvar’s allegations, stating that Anvar’s candidacy was not the reason for the UDF’s defeat in Beypore. Salam argued that defeats could occur for various political reasons and questioned why the focus was on a single constituency when the UDF won 12 out of 13 seats in Kozhikode district. He added that any claims about vote leakage within the UDF would be examined but emphasized that the front’s overall performance should be the primary discussion point.

Salam also challenged those who attributed the UDF’s defeat in Beypore to Anvar’s candidacy to provide an explanation for the outcome.

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