KOZHIKODE: For the UDF and NDA, gearing up to put up a tight fight against the CPM in its stronghold of Kannur, the outcome of the 2015 local body elections in 11 grama panchayats and Anthur municipality reflects a not-so-rosy picture. These are the panchayats in the district won by the LDF with no opposition whatsoever. A majority of them are in Taliparamba, Kalyasseri and Thalassery Assembly constituencies.
However, the UDF and NDA leaders are hopeful of garnering more votes in the Assembly elections from these CPM strongholds known as “party villages,” considering the fall in the number of grama panchayats where the CPM was enjoying monopoly in the past couple of years. The number of LDF-only panchayats has come down to 11 in the 2015 local body polls compared to 16 in the 2010 elections. In addition to Anthur municipality, where 14 CPM candidates were elected unopposed to the 28-member municipal body even before the local body polls, the CPM-led LDF is ruling the 11 grama panchayats without any Opposition.
“We don’t think the CPM will be able to get the same support from the people in these panchayats this Assembly polls. People are not afraid to register their protest against the highhandedness of the CPM workers,” said District Congress Committee general secretary T Janardhanan Panniyoor. He said the Assembly polls were a different ball game compared to the panchayat polls. “In panchayat elections, CPM doesn’t allow local leaders of other parties to contest. More people will vote in favour of the UDF this Assembly polls,” he said.
The LDF-only panchayats were Kankole-Alapadamba, Karivellur-Peralam, Cheruthazham, Cherukunnu, Kallyasseri, Kannapuram, Malappattam, Pinarayi, Kathirur, Pannyannur and Chittariparamba. Surprisingly, Chittariparamba had a Congress member in the 2010 election but now it is an all-LDF panchayat.
“The party has been working for the welfare of the people in these panchayats for decades and they wholeheartedly support the LDF. We expect a thumping victory for the LDF candidates this Assembly polls and no other party will be able to make inroads in our areas,” said a local CPM leader.
BJP Kannur district president Sathyaprakash P said his party had completed the first round of family meets with residents in these CPM strongholds. “We are getting a rousing reception. We will be conducting a series of family meets to win their confidence,” he said.
Red panchayats change colour
The panchayats that lost all LDF-tag in the 2015 local body polls were Kunjimangalam, Ezhome, Kadannappally-Panappuzha, Mayyil, Kottayam, and Kuttyattoor. While UDF managed to win two seats each in Kunjimangalam, Kadannappally-Panappuzha and Mayyil, a non-CPM Independent won in Ezhome panchayat. At Kuttyattoor, a UDF candidate was elected while a BJP member won a seat in Kottayam panchayat.