Malaparamba ward is witnessing a close fight

KOZHIKODE: The Malaparamba ward in the city corporation is witnessing a keen contest between two sitting councillors of the CPM and the Congress, who had locked horns on many occasions at the council meetings. LDF candidate Sini K and UDF nominee K C Shobitha, who have completed their first round of campaigning, are now engrossed in extensive campaigning in the second phase.
Shobitha, who is also the daughter of DCC president K C Abu, won the election from the neighbouring Paroppady ward for 614 votes in the 2010 elections. Sini snatched the Eranhipalam ward from UDF for a narrow margin of 36 votes last time.
Sini said that she is confident about her victory at Malaparamba ward as she is contesting the election from the ward where she was born and brought up. “Malaparamba ward has been with LDF since 2000 and the developmental work carried out by deputy mayor P T Abdul Latheef including construction of new roads and drainages and repair of roads will help to ensure LDF victory for the fourth time,” she said.
“The people in the ward have always supported the LDF and this time too they will support us to continue our developmental work,” she said.
Shobitha, however, is confident that people who are fed up with the 15 years of misrule of LDF in the corporation will rethink this time.
“The SC colony in the ward still does not have basic facilities despite the presence of a ward councillor who is also the deputy mayor and finance standing committee chairman of the LDF-led council for more than a decade. “The deputy mayor failed to resolve even basic issues like flooding at certain areas. There is no scientific drainage system in the ward and the voters complained about flooding and absence of drainages and footpaths,” she said.
The BJP has fielded its district vice-president Ramani Bai to take on the two sitting councillors. “The public in the ward are longing for a change. Both the UDF and LDF have failed to bring desired development in the ward, which still does not have a scientific drainage to overcome the flooding which is a routine affair during the rainy season,” she said.
LDF took the decision on candidates much earlier giving Sini an edge in the campaign in the first leg but Shobitha was quick to match the pace.