Kozhikode District Collector violated rules in panchayat ward division, alleges Congress

K. Praveenkumar, Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) president, has accused District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh of violating rules in the division of four wards in the Chakkitapara grama panchayat.

He told the media on Tuesday that an order had been issued redrawing the wards in the panchayat after the last date for filing complaints related to ward division had already expired. The final voters’ list is about to be published too. Mr. Praveenkumar said that the Congress would file a petition in the Kerala High Court against this.

He claimed that the United Democratic Front (UDF) had so far lodged over 900 complaints related to the ward division. The district collector, who is also the district in-charge officer for the local body elections, did not take any action on any of them but resorted to an “unusual step” in the case of the Chakkittapara grama panchayat alone, Mr. Praveenkumar alleged. He claimed that this followed complaints lodged by local leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the panchayat functionaries.

He alleged that the CPI(M) was worried that the four wards would elect UDF nominees to the panchayat. M.A. Razak, district president, Indian Union Muslim League, meanwhile, alleged that the district collector had misused his powers. Both the leaders said that the UDF would launch a protest if the order was not revoked.