Contestants in the elections to the Maradu municipal council are focussing on issues mostly around environmental concerns. The municipality is surrounded by backwaters and encroachment of the water bodies is a major concern for the residents in the area.
The municipality has been at the centre of public attention after the Supreme Court ordered in early 2019 that three apartment complexes should be demolished as they violated the Coastal Area Regulation Zone rules. The order was carried out in the first half of January 2020 and the apartment complexes were demolished. Since then, the municipality has been at the centre of public attention both for its scenic beauty and the way the violations were punished.
Boban Nedumparambil, who was the vice-chairperson of the municipality in the outgoing council, said that there were big issues that needed to be addressed in the municipality. Waste disposal was one of the issues that confronted the municipal authorities now and the issue needed to be addressed.
ADVERTISEMENT
The municipality, with a total of 33 councillors, was ruled by the United Democratic Front during the past five years. Mr. Boban said that he was not contesting this time as an example for those who wanted to bring fresh ideas to the fore.
Anthony Asanparambil of the Congress, who is contesting from ward 9, said that the UDF rule had ensured the welfare of the people during its last term. He expressed the confidence that the UDF rule during the past five years would ensure a majority for the political front in the coming elections.
The outgoing council was quite balanced with 15 seats each for the political fronts and three Independents. The UDF governed with the support of the Independents.
ADVERTISEMENT
Disha Prabhakaran, Rathi Divarkaran, Raji Thambi, R. K. Suresh Babu, Anish Unni, and Ajitha Nandakumar are among the prominent candidates in the fray in the municipal contest.