The acute shortage of drinking water experienced in many parts of the constituency will be a major deciding factor in determining the fate of Elathur in the forthcoming Assembly polls, especially since no reprieve to the situation is visible in the near future.
The 13{+t}{+h}and the newest constituency in the district, Elathur is a slightly urbanised rural belt though part of it is within Kozhikode city. Most parts of the constituency are untouched as far as infrastructure development is concerned.
Sitting MLA A.K.Saseendran of Nationalist Congress Party is the LDF candidate here while long-term Corporation Councillor P. Kishenchand of Janata Dal (United) is the UDF candidate.
BJP North Zone president V.V. Rajan has decided to try his luck here a second time. Besides there are candidates from Trinamool Congress and Bahujan Samajwadi Party too in the fray.
Even the rival candidates cannot deny that Mr.Saseendran has succeeded in bringing some infrastructural development to the region such as roads.
Mr. Kishenchand agreed that the sitting MLA had successfully spent all the Rs.30 crore allotted to him by the State government for local development, at the same time highlighting the lack of vision in his activities and his inability to device suitable projects for the region.
Mr. Kishenchand as well as Mr.Rajan are banking on the MLA’s inability to uplift the situation of the various colonies of Scheduled Caste and tribes in the constituency, that are in a deplorable condition. The neglect towards health sector is also being highlighted.
Both have offered to pay more attention to the development of agriculture in the region.
Mr. Kishenchand has his roots in the constituency and claims to know the place and its problems well.
On the other hand, Mr.Rajan’s hopes are pinned on the increase in votes polled in favour of BJP in the constituency during the last Lok Sabha polls.
The candidates are in their third phase of campaigning. The heat is a major deterrent and hence door-to- door visits are restricted to the mornings while afternoons are reserved for public conventions and rallies.
Elathur constituency consists of Kakkodi, Chelannur, Kakkur Nanamanda, Thalakkulathur and Kuruvattur grama panchayats besides erstwhile Elathur panchayat that is now part of Kozhikode Corporation.
It is an LDF bastion as of now, Mr.Saseendran having won last time with a margin of around 15,000 votes.
It has not supported M.K.Raghavan of Congress much in the last Lok Sabha polls.
There are now around 3,000 new voters in the constituency this time.
