Kerala - Kannur   

Braving the summer heat in Kannur

Mohamed Nazeer

UDF candidate takes on a trade union leader

KANNUR: Neither the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate and sitting MLA K. Sudhakaran nor his Left Democratic Front (LDF) rival K.P. Sahadevan are leaving nothing to chances in their hectic campaign tour of the Kannur constituency as each braves the summer heat to make the most out of his perceived electoral advantages.

Apart from his popularity in the constituency, Mr. Sudhakaran, during his election campaign in the constituency, do not forget to remind the people on all the developmental works that he has initiated during the last 10-year period when he has represented it in the Assembly.

He requests the voters during his street corner meetings to give him one more term to complete various developmental works that was started here under his initiative.

As the Kannur constituency includes the Kannur municipality and nearby panchayats, the sitting MLA highlights his involvement in activities aimed at addressing problems such as garbage disposal in the town. His supporters distribute to the audience at his meeting places handbills listing his achievements. The Kannur municipality's proposed project to treat waste water passing through the Padannathode at three points, tourism projects such as the Kannur town square development scheme and Payyamabalam beach development scheme, work on the proposed sports complex at Mundayad and construction of new sports hostel building are prominently mentioned as his achievements. Road development work carried out in various parts of the constituency is also his pet campaign topic.

Mr. Sudhakaran is confident that the people of Kannur constituency will ensure his re-election.

His major refrain during his hectic election campaign in the constituency is the political peace restored in the district by the UDF Government. That appeals to the largely middle class voters in his constituency. Is it not the UDF Government that has conceived various projects such as the Smart City to open up job opportunities, he asks the voters.

A prominent trade union leader, Mr. Sahadevan, also has the advantage of being a familiar face in the Kannur constituency. His campaign naturally focuses on workers' welfare even as he speaks about need for overall development of the constituency. He appeals to the voters here for a change when the entire State is poised for an LDF victory.

The LDF candidate picks holes in the developmental claims of his UDF rival who has been a Minister for three years. The proposed Kannur bypass to relieve the traffic congestion on the National Highway from Puthiyatheru to Thazhe Chovva still remains a proposal. When he visits the coastal areas in the constituency, he speaks about the problems being faced by the fishermen community. If elected, he will exert his active involvement to ensure that the Mappila Bay Fishing Harbour at Ayikkara becomes fully operational, he says.

The LDF camp also makes some innuendoes against the UDF candidate during the campaign. Local leaders in their speeches say that Mr. Sudhakaran has no right to talk about political violence because the district witnessed a turbulent time when he was district Congress president.

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Braving the summer heat in Kannur

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