Maiden session of new Kozhikode Corporation Council sees long debates on key issues

Signalling a clear departure from the past when the Communist Party of Party (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) commanded a comfortable majority, the maiden session of the new council of the Kozhikode Corporation on Wednesday was introduced to new realities of its hung status with deliberations on various issues running into a marathon four-hour debate. 

As expected with a hung council, this political dynamics has made decision-making a lengthy process. The meeting, chaired by Mayor O. Sadashivan, which commenced at 2.30 pm, did not conclude until 6.15 p.m.

With 35 seats in the 76-member council, the LDF remains the ruling party. However, the combined strength of the Opposition parties — the Congress-Indian Union Muslim League combine of the United Democratic Front (UDF) with 28 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party with 13 — exceeds that of the ruling front.

The Opposition confronted the ruling front over a string of alleged administrative failures, ranging from environmental negligence to a high-profile corruption scandal involving sewage infrastructure in the city.

Opposition members, led by the UDF’s S.V. Mohammed Shamil and S.K. Aboobakker, alleged large-scale irregularities in the maintenance contract of the sewage treatment plant at the Government Medical College Hospital. BJP members, including Nambidi Narayanan and Navya Haridas, joined the call for legal action against the firm and demanded a probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).

The Mayor attempted to calm the floor by agreeing to an all-party internal committee to investigate the project’s execution and maintenance before further steps were taken. The committee will submit a report within a month.

The council also faced a barrage of criticism regarding the EMS Corporation Stadium. The natural grass turf, recently renovated, was reportedly left in ruins after being leased out for a ‘SuperCross’ motorbike racing league.

​Councillors expressed outrage that the city’s premier football venue was sacrificed for a commercial racing event, rendering it unusable for upcoming matches. Deputy Mayor S. Jayasree said efforts were on to find suitable land for sports, but the damage to the stadium remained a major point of public anger.