Malappuram: Youth Congress state president and Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil on Sunday clarified that his meeting with PV Anvar was not on the party’s directive, but in solidarity with his fight against "Pinarayism."

Rahul had met with P V Anvar at his residence on Saturday night. "The Congress party did not ask me to meet Anvar. No one in the party directed me to do so. Besides, I don’t hold a position significant enough to be instructed to meet him," Rahul said. 

The Youth Congress leader added that both Anvar and the Congress are united in their fight against "Pinarayism" in the state. "Whatever Anvar is saying about Pinarayi, we've been saying for a long time. Only the UDF can win this battle against 'Pinarayism'. I met him to seek support for the UDF," he said.

Rahul said that he asked Anvar to make decisions rationally and not to deviate from his target.

Hours after the meeting with Rahul, reports surfaced about P V Anvar's candidature in Nilambur, where he had previously won two consecutive terms as an LDF-backed independent. However, he resigned as MLA on January 13 following differences with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Anvar later joined the Trinamool Congress and is set to contest in Nilambur under the party's symbol. 

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader VD Satheesan criticised Rahul's meeting with Anvar, stating that it was inappropriate. "What he did was wrong. He shouldn't have gone. Moreover, a junior MLA is not entrusted with the responsibility of holding such meetings," he said.

Satheesan added that Rahul met Anvar without the knowledge of the UDF or Congress leadership. "The UDF has decided not to hold any further discussions with Anvar. We had earlier asked him to support the UDF candidate in Nilambur, and had he done so, we would have considered including him in the UDF. But Anvar kept repeating the same statements and demands made earlier. There will be no more talks with him. That door is closed," he said.

KPCC President Sunny Joseph echoed a tone similar to that of Satheesan. Speaking to reporters, he said that no one in the party had entrusted Rahul to meet Anvar. He also added that he would consider taking action against Rahul for his actions.

Sunny further said that Rahul is free to meet Anvar in a personal capacity, and he would not judge whether that was right or wrong. Congress leader K Mruleedharan also said that the meeting was personal and should be considered a discussion among friends.

Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath distanced himself from the political row over Rahul's meeting with Anvar. "I don't know anything about the meeting. It is the UDF leadership who has to decide on such meetings," he said.

The LDF camp has seized on Rahul's meeting with Anvar and called it a move to placate Anvar.