With electioneering coming to a close this week, the stage has been set for a tight contest between the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) for the district panchayat polls.
One of the reasons cited is that both coalitions faced no big problems in the seat-sharing process and also in finalising their candidates though minor partners had accused the main parties of cornering the winnable seats.
The Kozhikode district panchayat has 27 seats. As such, the CPI(M) is contesting 18 seats, CPI- 4; Nationalist Congress Party-2 and National Secular Congress, Janata Dal (Secular), Indian National League (INL) , one each.
In the UDF camp, the Congress has put up nominees in 12 seats, IUML- 8, JD (U) -5, and Communist Marxist Party and Kerala Congress (M), one each.
The third-tier of the local body polls could also be compared to a mini-Assembly elections in the district although these divisions do not cover the areas of the Kozhikode Corporation, and Koyilandy, Vadakara, Payyoli, Ramanattukara, Feroke, Mukkum and Koduvally municipalities.
District Panchayat is that third-level of the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj system.
Almost all parties have nominated district and some State-level office-bearers to contest the polls. The BJP has also put up candidates in almost all the divisions.
In the 2010 polls, the CPI (M)-led LDF secured a majority literally by a whisker of one seat more than the Congress- led UDF.
The CPI (M) got 12 seats; CPI- 2 and the INL – 1, Congress-6, Socialist Janata (Democratic) - 3 and Indian Union Muslim League-3.
Now the contours of the 27 divisions have been redrawn as the State government upgraded five grama panchayats, Feroke, Ramanattukara, Payyoli , Mukkom and Koduvally, to municipalities. Subsequently many divisions now cease to exist even as the delimitation also resulted in the formation of new divisions.
The removed divisions are Velam, Peruvannamuzhi, Panangad, Mukkum, Ramanattukara, Feroke, Kuruvattoor, Koduvally, Kakkoor, Kappad, Kottakkal and Thiruvalloor and the newly formed ones are Kuttiyadi, Balussery, Kodencherry, Thiruvambadi, Kadalundi, Kunnamangalam, Madavoor, Kakkodi, Narikunni, Ulliyeri, Meyppayur and Payyoli Bazaar.
