Veiled but firm expressions of their political differences notwithstanding, the new Mayor and the Deputy Mayor belonging to two rival political parties and fronts have said that they are committed to the development of infrastructure to make Kannur a major city. Speaking at a meet-the-press here on Saturday, Kannur Mayor E.P. Latha and Deputy Mayor C. Sameer said that the comprehensive development of the city with special focus on infrastructure initiatives would be given priority. While Ms. Latha said that all sides would be taken on board on developmental issues, Mr. Sameer added that development would take its own course independently of politics.
Both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor would actually be walking a tight rope walk in the corporation council where the support of Independent councillor P.K. Ragesh, who contested the election as a Congress rebel candidate, is crucial as both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) have 27 seats each in the 55-member council. Ms. Latha, CPI(M) councillor, was elected Mayor with Mr. Ragesh’s support, while Mr. Sameer of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was elected in a draw of lots as Mr. Ragesh abstained from voting to elect Deputy Mayor. In her opening words at the meet-the-press, Ms. Latha said efforts would be taken to give a facelift to Kannur, which she said now aroused a feeling of fear to outsiders. The promises in the LDF’s manifesto for the development of Kannur would be implemented, she said adding that the developmental stagnation in the 149-year-old municipality that has been now upgraded to Corporation would be changed. Kannur would be developed into a green city, she added.
In his address, Mr. Sameer, who had served as vice-chairman of the erstwhile municipality that had been ruled by the Congress-IUML combine said, in apparent reference to the Mayor’s remark, that the municipality over the years had launched various developmental projects including a new bus terminal developed on built-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, which he said was a model project for the entire State.
The widening of the City-Thayatheru road launched during the previous UDF rule was a major initiative to ease traffic bottlenecks in the city. The Deputy Mayor said that the Corporation would explore new ways for treatment of waste.
