Kochi: In yet another realignment within Kerala’s political landscape, former Nilambur MLA PV Anvar has formally severed ties with the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). In a Facebook post after the state committee meeting held on Monday at Kalamassery in Kochi, Anvar announced his resignation as the party’s state convenor and detailed plans to launch a new political party by the second week of May. The move marks the culmination of Anvar’s brief and turbulent stint as the face of Mamata Banerjee's party in Kerala.

“Taking into account the specific circumstances emerging in national politics, the meeting unanimously approved a resolution stating that we shall no longer proceed as the Trinamool Congress. Accordingly, I hereby announce my resignation from the position of State Convenor... and formally sever all ties with the Trinamool Congress national leadership.” Anwar wrote in the post.

Anvar further clarified that his future political trajectory would be firmly anchored in the national leadership of Rahul Gandhi. The new party, he said, would be built on an ideological framework that ‘aligns with the politics championed by Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress.’

Anvar’s exit from the TMC is the latest chapter in a high-profile journey that began with a dramatic fallout with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in September 2024. Once a key independent MLA backed by the LDF in Nilambur (2016, 2021), Anvar’s relationship with the CPM collapsed in late 2024. He launched a scathing public campaign against the Chief Minister’s office and top police officials, alleging corruption and communal bias. 

Following his exit from the LDF, Anvar initially explored an alliance with the DMK before joining the Trinamool Congress. On January 13, 2025, three days af Anvar resigned his MLA post, challenging the LDF to a bypoll in Nilambur.

He was later appointed the state convenor and attempted to position the AITC as a secular alternative in Kerala. However, the party struggled to find traction within Kerala’s entrenched front-based politics.

As the 2026 Assembly elections approached, political pragmatism forced a shift. In early 2026, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) accepted AITC - Kerala Unit led by Anvar as an ‘Associate Party’. While not a full member of the front, this status allowed Anvar to contest as a UDF-backed independent from the Beypore constituency, where he fought a fierce battle against LDF incumbent and PWD minister PA Mohamed Riyas.

The move to drop the ‘Trinamool’ tag appears to be a strategic one, given the AITC’s frequent clashes with the Congress outside Kerala. By forming a localised state party, he could position himself as a dedicated UDF ally while strengthening his own political influence.