Malappuram: Former cricketer and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Yusuf Pathan on Saturday threw his weight behind PV Anvar, the party’s candidate for the upcoming Nilambur by-election, calling him “an opener” rather than an “impact player.”

“TMC leader PV Anvar has already made the biggest impact here. TMC will support him a lot and will continue to do so... Not an impact player, but he is an opener or man of the match... After the election, you will understand the exact impact he has as a player and how significant a match-winner he is,” Pathan said while campaigning in Nilambur.

Anvar, a former LDF-backed MLA who resigned after levelling serious allegations against the Left government, is now contesting under the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) banner.

He will face a multi-cornered contest with LDF’s M Swaraj, NDA’s Michael George, and UDF’s Aryadan Shoukath in the fray.

The by-election, triggered by Anvar’s resignation, holds political weight as it is seen as a precursor to the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections and a referendum on the popularity of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s government.