Incumbent Mayor A.K. Premajam and Deputy Mayor P.T. Abdul Latheef, both of the Communist Party of the India (Marxist) will not contest the civic body polls this time.
They have opted out of the race for various reasons and subsequently the party leadership took a final decision in this regard. Prof. Premajam, former Principal of Government Arts and Science College, Kozhikode, had an earlier stint as Mayor during 1995-98.
She had also successfully contested the elections from the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency in 1998 and in 1999. The party brought Prof. Premajam to head the civic body when the post was reserved for women.
Similarly Prof. Latheef had held the post of Deputy Mayor twice. He was Head of the Department of Economics, Farook College, here. Usually the party never allowed councillors to contest more than twice. Nevertheless, Prof. Latheef has the rare distinction of being the Deputy Mayor of a Corporation for the past 15 years, possibly an achievement in the State.
This time, the post of Mayor is in the general category. But the post of Deputy Mayor is reserved for women.
