LDF man waxes eloquent on development

By Maleeha Raghaviah

KOZHIKODE, APRIL 22.It goes without doubt that a sitting MLA seeking re-election has an edge over his opponents in an Assembly poll, especially when he has much to hype on the progress achieved in his constituency either due to the policies of his Government or on the basis of his initiative.

This exactly is the premise on which Mr. Elamaram Kareem is approaching the voters in the Kozhikode-II Assembly constituency. The main plank on which his campaign is pegged relates to the success achieved by the People's Plan Campaign and how it has assisted in transforming the State-sponsored concept of development to one which is `people-participatory' and hence much more healthy and sound.

Mr. Kareem has the statistics at his finger tips as he approaches the voters with the claim that in the past five years, the constituency has benefited through the development projects of the local self-governing bodies. The programmes have especially been beneficial to those from the weaker sections such as women, he says.

He has other ammunition in his arsenal too - improvement in the Kozhikode city's drinking water scenario. According to him, the quantity of water at the city's disposal has increased manifold from 8 million litres to 12 million litres a day. He has another claim too - that the Moozhikkal water project has benefited Kozhikode. He also points to the ten mini drinking water projects commissioned by the present LDF dispensation.

A number of public water taps have been installed in his constituency besides the new water connections given to households. Mr. Kareem claims that despite the delay, the Japanese-sponsored OECF project which is expected to solve the water problem has been cleared despite initial delay.

The operation of the city's first garbage disposal plant at Njeliyanparambu is cited by him as another example of development. This is besides gains in the education field. When pre-degree was taken away from city colleges, eight high schools were sanctioned Plus Two courses. Amenities at the Kozhikode Medical College have been improved considerably, the LDF candidate can claim. This is the only medical college in the State with three scanners. The building for the super speciality hospital is progressing well too.

Mr. Kareem is no doubt a cut above his political opponents, with his long years of association with the trade union movement and, as such, has strong contacts at the grassroots. He has been hailed as a populist leader having been in the forefront of trade union protests during the Gwalior Rayons close-downs. He was the one who led the march from Mavoor to Thiruvananthapuram demanding the reopening of the Grasim factory.

Mr. Kareem was State secretary of the CITU and general secretary of the KSRTC Workers Federation.

The LDF wrested the seat from the IUML candidate, Ms. Kamrunhisa Anwar, in the 1996 Assembly election. In that election, Mr. Kareem polled 49,105 votes against his nearest rival, Ms. Anwar, who registered 40,329 votes, to enter the Assembly for the first time. Mr.Kareem is popular as a `leader of the people', having gained entry into politics through the trade union movement.

However, his claims on the success of the People's Plan Campaign are being countered by Mr. T.P.M. Sahir, IUML candidate, who

points to the not-so-rosy picture the city presents on the drinking water, garbage disposal and drainage fronts.

Mr. Sahir, a well-known face in social and trade circles, is a novice as far as politics is concerned. His main poser to the LDF opponent is the lack of a comprehensive drinking water project for the city to meet the needs of its ever-increasing population. One aspect where Mr. Kareem is likely to be on the defensive will be the delay in the OECF project.

Even as the LDF claims to have spent Rs. 60 crores as panchayat funds under the People's Plan Campaign in the constituency, Mr. Sahir points out that the development gained is not in keeping with the huge sum spent.

The Kozhikode -II constituency occupies a slot next only to the Kozhikode-I constituency due to its strategic importance. The constituency comprises a sizeable chunk of the economically backward population and has a high proportion of Muslim voters.

Mr. Sahir, president of the Kozhikode Junior Chamber and the district president of the Muslim Service Society, is no novice in public life. An engineer by training, he manages his own business enterprise. He is a new face in politics though.

The BJP candidate, Mr. K.P.G. Panikker, despite the marginal votes the party is likely to poll, has asserted that the BJP is here to win. The party has its agenda too, a scientific one at that, which will benefit Kozhikode city in a comprehensive manner as opposed to the hotch potch development so far showcased in turns by the two major fronts.

In the last election, the BJP polled 10,782 votes. This vote bank can play a decisive role this time round, depending on the strategy being adopted by the party.

In keeping with the strategic importance of the constituency, the CPI(M) has launched an aggressive campaign here much in advance. Mr. Kareem, who is in the forefront of any need of Kozhikode city, has completed a couple of rounds of door-to-door campaign. He has been approaching the candidates on a person-to- person level to know their needs.

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