MALAPPURAM: In a development that could seriously put a question mark on the relevance of the UDF, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Malappuram unit is going ahead with the ‘Vikasana Sadas’, a programme meant to celebrate the achievements of the local bodies over the past five years.
The UDF had decided not to cooperate with the state-wide event, saying it is a public relations exercise of the government, but the IUML local bodies in Malappuram have decided to go ahead with Sadas. They say that it is an opportunity for the UDF local bodies to showcase the development works they carried out in their respective local bodies.
The turning point came on Saturday when the Mangalam grama panchayat, led by Muslim League, organised the government’s development review meet, meticulously following every clause of the official circular. The panchayat went a step further by publishing a detailed report of the ward-wise projects.
“The budget for the Vikasana Sadas was drawn from the panchayat’s funds. We didn’t want to miss the opportunity to highlight our achievements before the public. Reports of development works in each ward were also published,” Mangalam panchayat president C P Kunhutty told TNIE.
The state government’s directive mandates that all local bodies hold the Sadas between September 20 and October 20. In Malappuram, out of 94 panchayats and 12 municipalities, only 12 local bodies are yet to confirm their participation. The rest have either finalised or are preparing to fix the dates of the programme.
The UDF-ruled local bodies like Nirmathur have even set up welcome committees, while Tanur municipality, governed by the IUML, is all set to host the event.
Tanur municipality to hold Vikasana Sadas
“We have decided to hold the Vikasana Sadas. As of now, there is no directive from the party against our decision,” said Tanur IUML member Muhammed Asharaf.
The pattern is unmistakable — the IUML-led and UDF-ruled bodies across the district are choosing compliance with the government’s initiative over alliance discipline. The League’s actions have effectively rendered the UDF’s boycott call meaningless.
This is widely seen as the outcome of IUML’s increasing annoyance towards the style of functioning of the Congress leadership, especially that of Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, and the developments in the League in Malappuram point to the widening chasm between two parties.
Caught in the crossfire, IUML district general secretary P Abdul Hameed, who earlier stirred controversy by urging League workers to make the Sadas a grand success, has now taken a defensive stance. “Following the UDF leadership’s directive, we had decided to hold separate League-organised development meets using party funds.
I am unaware of what happened in Mangalam panchayat,” he told TNIE. The UDF-governed Tuvvur grama panchayath remains the only local body that has decided not to hold the Sadas.
Meanwhile, UDF convener Adoor Prakash has said the Sadas is like the Ayyappa Sangamam, which was a mere eyewash.
Mangalam holds meet
On Saturday, Mangalam grama panchayat became the first UDF-governed local body in Malappuram district to hold the ‘Vikasana Sadas’.