Mainstream political parties have gone into the election mode though the State Election Commission is yet to decide on the date of the three-tier local body polls.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has been the first to go off the block, is already in high spirits after the verdict of the Kerala High Court quashing the notification of the State government to divide the Corporation.
The notification was to de-link the erstwhile grama panchayats, Cheruvannur- Nallalam, Beypore and Elathur grama panchayats, which had been merged to the Corporation before the 2010 polls, and form three new municipalities. A proposal was also to merge the Thalakulathur grama panchayat with Elathur. Such a bifurcation would have shrunk the Corporation wards to 58 from its existing 75.
Before the verdict itself, the CPI(M) undertook campaigns in the city explaining its position and the “retrograde step taken by the government to fulfil its political agenda”. Now posters highlighting the achievements of the councillors have appeared in many divisions. Street corner meetings and get-togethers are also being organised.
Leaders say that the hour-long wayside sit-in organised by the CPI(M) at the State-level on August 11 was successful to galvanise the party cadre.
The LDF has chalked out more agitations and it has planned to capitalise on the trade union strike on September 2, though trade union affiliated to other political parties are also joining the one-day nationwide protest.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front had great expectations that the delinking of the Corporation would help it to capture the civic body from the Left parties which they have been ruling for over three decades. Now the Congress- Indian Union Muslim League- Janata Dal (United) combine has decided to aggressively take on the LDF accusing them of maladministration and corruption.
Not to be left behind, the BJP has taken the civic polls seriously with billboards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and State president V. Muraleedharan campaigning for ‘Save Kozhikode.’ The party has no members in the current city council. However, it had two members when the council strength was 51 in 2005.
