: Coalition partners of both the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) are making last-ditch efforts to persuade rebel candidates from not contesting the elections.
In the UDF camp, both the ‘I’ and the ‘A’ factions of the Congress have candidates in many grama panchayats. On the other hand, the LDF appears to have solved its problems, though the CPI is not content with the seat-sharing process in many places.
Leaders believe that a solution to the rebel menace would be worked out in the last minute. The last date to withdraw nominations is October 17 (Saturday). Officially, 10,371 candidates are in the fray for elections to the three-tier local bodies in the district.
As many as 1,445 out of 12,011 nominations were rejected during scrutiny on Thursday. There are 172 candidates contesting 27 seats in the district panchayat; 893 in 169 seats in the 12 block panchayats; 7,200 in the 1,226 seats in the 70 grama panchayats, 1,557 in 265 seats in seven municipalities and 549 in 75 seats in the Kozhikode Corporation Council.
The number of candidates is likely to come down since all parties have put up dummy candidates. Certainly, the dummy candidates will withdraw their nominations on Saturday.
Both factions of the Congress have nominated their candidates in five wards of the Thamarassery grama panchayat and the Thachampoyil block panchayat. Similarly, the seat distribution in Payyoli municipality has rattled a section of the local leaders.
The Congress seems to have salvaged from the ordeal of rebellion it faced during the selection of candidates for the Kozhikode Corporation.
In the LDF camp, the CPI(M) and CPI are against each other in the Corporation’s Panniyankara ward. The seat has been officially allotted to the CPI, but the CPI(M)’s local leaders are unhappy with the arrangement.
Also, the CPI and the CPI(M) have put up candidates at a ward in Meyppayur panchayat.
