Party chiefs outline development, welfare projects for Kozhikode

A pre-poll discussion, ‘Meet the Leaders’, organised by the Calicut Press Club on Friday (December 5, 2025), saw three district chiefs of mainstream political parties outlining their visions, priorities, expectations, and manifesto commitments ahead of the three-tier local body elections next week.

Opening the deliberations, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district secretary M. Mehboob highlighted the benefits Kozhikode had received from consecutive terms of development-oriented administration under the Left Democratic Front (LDF). He cited the November 1 announcement that no families remained in the “extreme poor” category in the State as proof of the government’s welfare effectiveness. He added that the LDF’s manifesto for Kozhikode was framed to expand public services and deepen secular, people-centric governance.

He also criticised the Union government’s divisive communal politics, alleging that the Congress often supports such policies. Mr. Mehboob added that the Left’s political role would continue to be rooted in secular values.

Countering the LDF’s claims, District Congress Committee (DCC) president K. Praveen Kumar argued that poverty elimination in Kozhikode was far from complete and pointed to deficiencies in the implementation of schemes such as the ‘Life Mission’ programme.

Kozhikode’s educational progress, he said, had stagnated, and the district’s road infrastructure continued to deteriorate despite successive budgets. The United Democratic Front (UDF) would revive the Kozhikode light metro project and provide free local bus transport for women and persons with disabilities. Measures would also be taken to tackle the stray dog menace and expand welfare coverage, Mr. Kumar added.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) city district president K.P. Prakash Babu said that key components of the district’s infrastructure had progressed only through Union government initiatives and funding. He cited projects such as the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) block at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, as testimony to this.

The BJP’s manifesto, he said, focuses on creating a more women-friendly city, improving doorstep services, ensuring efficient garbage collection, expanding parking infrastructure, and addressing gaps in geriatric healthcare, including free hospital treatment for citizens above 70 years of age.