‘Thilakkam’ takes shine off LDF’s campaign in Kozhikode Corporation

District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh has asked the secretary, Kozhikode Corporation, to produce proof that copies of ‘Thilakkam’, the progress report of the local body released recently, have already been distributed among the councillors earlier.

The move comes after the secretary submitted a report to the Joint Director of the Local Self-Government department, saying that the progress report was published and released on October 26, before the model code of conduct (MCC) for the local body polls came into place.

The report says that one lakh copies were printed and were given to the councillors on condition that it would not be distributed. However, United Democratic Front (UDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors in the Corporation have denied receiving any copy of ‘Thilakkam’. They even claimed that the progress report released during a development seminar on October 26 had a different cover page than what is being distributed among the voters at present.

‘Thilakkam’ has landed the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the city in a puddle after the opposition parties raised a complaint of violation of the poll code on grounds that the LDF councillors were distributing copies of the progress report among voters during their campaigning. “The UDF has complained that the report does not carry the name of the printer or the number of copies printed. Besides, it has also been alleged that the Corporation had exceeded the budget of ₹6 lakhs sanctioned by the State government for the purpose and demanded to add the excess budget to the total expenditure of the candidates”, said Shamin Sebastian, Deputy Collector and nodal officer for enforcing the poll code.

The BJP had even produced photographic evidence that copies of ‘Thilakkam’ were stocked at the party office of CPI(M) at Eranhipalam. BJP candidate for Karaparamba ward Navya Haridas complained that the LDF leaders and candidates were continuing to distribute the progress report despite the collector’s order against it.

The District Collector, who is in charge of enforcing MCC in the district, found substance in the complaints prima facie and demanded the Corporation secretary for the report.

The UDF councillor party leaders K.C. Shobhita and K. Moideeen Koya claimed that the details of ‘Thilakkam’ are not included in the Corporation’s stock register. The UDF is planning to move the court in this regard.