Rebel threat to UDF, LDF in Kozhikode

Despite unending backroom negotiations, political parties have not been able to weed out rebels posing a threat to official candidates in various local bodies in Kozhikode district.

Attempts to quell the rebel menace and passify dissident candidates to back down came to an end at sundown on Monday (November 24), the last day for withdrawal of nominations. Though several candidates, rebels, and official at times withdrew their nominations, all is not well yet.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) is facing the biggest threat from rebels. The official Congress candidates in several wards in Feroke municipality, Ward 2 of Kunnamangalam block panchayat, Kuttiady division of Kunnummal block, Cherukunnu ward of Velam panchayat, Punnakkal ward of Thiruvambady panchayat, and the Kallai division in the Kozhikode Corporation have rebels contesting against them. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) faces a rebel threat in the Chalappuram ward from a Congress worker. The League has a rebel menace in Ward 2 of Vadakara municipality as well. In Ward 12 of Edacheri panchayat, the official Congress candidate had to withdraw his nomination after an IUML rebel was declared the official UDF candidate. Another rebel, in Ward 16 of the same panchayat, was forced to withdraw nomination.

However, the official version is that there are only three rebel candidates that the Congress needs to be concerned about. “We have given them an ultimatum. They need to offer their support to the official Congress candidate within 48 hours, failing which the party will take action against them,” said District Congress Committee president K. Praveen Kumar.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) too has rebel issues in select panchayats. The official Communist Party of India candidate in Ward 1 of Nadapuram panchayat had to withdraw nomination after the rebel Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] candidate was declared as the official LDF candidate. The CPI(M) is facing severe rebel menace in Olavanna panchayat as well.

As many as 9,977 nominations were filed by November 21 in Kozhikode district, of which 118 were rejected during scrutiny.