With the campaigning for the three-tier polls gaining momentum in the district, a fierce contest is expected between the main contestants, the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front for the 12 block panchayats.
In spite of the rebel menace at some places, the UDF leaders are confident that the coalition will be able to put up a good show following the success of the candidates in the Kozhikode and Vadakara Lok Sabha polls last year.
At present, the UDF is ruling four blocks panchayats, namely Vadakara, Meladi, Koduvally and Kunnamangalam. But this is an achievement for the UDF as the LDF had made a clean sweep of all the block panchayats in the 2005 elections.
The Congress-Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) – Janata Dal (United) combine came to power at Kunnamangalam through a drawing of lots as both the coalitions had equal members in the 19-member block panchayat in the 2010 polls. On the other hand, the LDF had secured a majority literally by a whisker of one more seat than the UDF in the Kunnummal and Perambra block panchayats.
The delimitation has brought a few changes to the block panchayats. New municipalities have been formed - Feroke, Ramanattukara, Mukkom, Koduvally and Payyoli - after the State government upgraded these grama panchayats.
That means the areas of four block panchayats, Kozhikode, Kunnamangalam, Koduvally and Meladi have shrunk with the formation of five municipalities. Further, the government was also forced to rescind its decision to include Kadalundi grama panchayat in Chelannur block following protests. Now it remains in Kozhikode block.
This is likely to throw up interesting contests between the two Fronts in many block panchayats. The Kozhikode block, the smallest of the 12 blocks, will just have two grama panchayats – Kadalundi and Olavanna- in its limits.
UDF leaders believe that the voting pattern would be different in the grama panchayats and the block panchayats this time too. Perhaps that made the coalition win 38 out of the 75 grama panchayats last time, they say.
